Solar light with port

ABSTRACT

A portable device for generating and providing electricity is disclosed. The device includes one or more flat solar panels; one or more batteries arranged to be changed with electric power from the one or more flat solar panels; one or more lights arranged to be powered from the one or more batteries; one or more electric connectors arranged to receive electric power form the one or more batteries and to connect to combined power/data connections on portable electronic devices; and an expandable and collapsible housing holding the solar panels, batteries, and lights, and arranged to form a hollow inner volume when expanded and a flat panel when contracted.

CLAIM OF PRIORITY

This application is a continuation of and claims the benefit of priorityto U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17/176,786, filed on Feb. 16, 2021,which is a continuation of and claims the benefit of priority to U.S.patent application Ser. No. 16/797,389, filed on Feb. 21, 2020, nowissued as U.S. Pat. No. 10,955,097 on Mar. 23, 2021, which is acontinuation of and claims the benefit of priority to U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 16/710,991, filed on Dec. 11, 2019, now issued asU.S. Pat. No. 10,612,738 on Apr. 7, 2020, which is a continuation of andclaims the benefit of priority to U.S. patent application Ser. No.15/804,877, filed on Nov. 6, 2017, now issued as U.S. Pat. No.10,514,140 on Dec. 24, 2019, which claims priority to U.S. ProvisionalApplication Ser. No. 62/430,192, filed on Dec. 5, 2016 and U.S.Provisional Application Ser. No. 62/417,632 filed Nov. 4, 2016, theentire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This document generally describes a collapsible solar-powered lamp, orlight, that, in addition to providing lighting, can also power externaldevices with electrical power and be powered by external devices.

BACKGROUND

“Roughing it” connotes a number of things, from self-sufficiency, to theoutdoors, to freedom. In a modern world, roughing it also connotes anabsence of electric and electronic devices that are part of ordinarymodern life, and that can be seen as a luxury or as a necessity. Forexample, lighting can be critical at night in the wild, and can morereadily and easily be provided by electric light rather than a flame.Similarly, electronics for communications (e.g., via various radiodevices like AM/FM radio, citizen's band radio, or even cellular orsatellite phone) may be a convenience at times for someone traveling inthe wild, the bush, or the outback, and at other times, can be critical,such as if a traveler is injured and needs immediate assistance. In suchsituations, it may be impractical to carry a battery or other powersource (e.g., generator) sufficient to power electric needs for anentire expedition.

These issues are shared, and are more severe, in areas suddenly thrustinto rough living conditions by natural disasters. For instance, in theaftermath of a hurricane, typhoon, or major earthquake, traditionalelectric power supplies and distribution networks may be broadlydisrupted. And the need for electric power—whether for medical care,search & rescue operations, operation of communication and computingfacilities, and the like—is at a premium. Power sources like generatorsmight not be readily available, might not be sufficiently dispersed tohandle needs for light and other things powered by electricity that maybe widely dispersed, and might be too large, bulky, and difficult totransport in any event.

SUMMARY

This document generally describes technology for providingsolar-generated electricity to multiple use points in a portableelectronic device. The use points may include light emitting diodes thatare part of the device, where the device may take the form of a lanternthat has lights and also has a low-voltage power plug to be connected tosmartphones, tablets, and other portable consumer electronic devices.The lantern may be physically expandable into its full lantern form,such as a rectangular box or cylinder or sphere, and may then becollapsible into a flat form, e.g., where opposed sides lay flat againsteach other in parallel planes. The expansion from the flat form to theexpanded form may be assisted by a stretchable cord inside the devicethat naturally shortens to draw the device into its expanded form—toessentially “open” the box automatically (after a small initiating inputfrom a user) from its flattened form. The expansion could also beassisted by pre-conditioned folds, cuts, or different materialthicknesses that assist with collapsing. The device may also be providedwith a plurality of solar panels, where, in the box example, each of thepanels is on a different side of the box when it is expanded, each iscoplanar with the other panel when the box is flattened, and each can bepositioned back-to-back with the other when the flattened device isfolded in half—which produces a flat device having solar panels on itstwo outer surfaces, so that they can readily be exposed to sunlight andcharge a battery in the device so that it can be used later to generatelight with the LEDs or to charge an external device like a smartphone.Moreover, the surface of the container that makes up the box or otherform may be imprinted with one or more antennas that can independentlyconnect to and serve as antennas to a device like a smartphone, or canconnect through a power connector also, so as to provide a moreeffective antenna to a smartphone than is possible in the relativelysmall case of the smartphone. The lamp may also be provided withadditional electronic devices that can plug into external devices suchas smartphones and act as peripherals that supplement the functionalityof those external devices. The electronics could contain Bluetooth,WIFI, GPS, antennas, and a variety of different sensors to support theneeds of the end user when in remote areas that are off the grid.

The structures of such a device—e.g., solar panels, printed circuitboards for electronic components, LED lights (e.g., in grids), andbatteries—may all be flat in form when the device is in a compressedform, and may lie in parallel planes with each other so that the devicecan fold as flat as is practical. Such form may allow shipping costs tobe minimized, may allow the number of devices that can be shipped toremote locations to be maximized, and may allow users to be able tocarry the devices in a minimum of space. The arrangement may also besuch that the solar panels are all co-planar on one side of the lampwhen the lamp is collapsed, so that the collapsed lamp can be laid on asurface (e.g., on a table or hanging down the back surface of a user'sback pack) and all the solar panels may aim generally toward the sun.

The arrangement of the electronic components of the lamp may be in alayered structure having multiple flat, parallel, layers—e.g., with aprinted circuit board in a middle layer. For example, the LED lights maybe mounted directly to printed circuit boards to which the solar panelsare mounted—with the solar panels mounted to one side of a particularcircuit board and the LEDs to the opposed side, so as to produce athree-layer structure. To make it even thinner and lightweight, thin orflexible circuit boards can be used to make the three-layer assemblyless than a few millimeters thick. The solar cells can be coated inepoxy, ETFE, PET, or other laminates to protect and secure the cells. Inalternative implementations, the solar panels may be positioned adjacentflat batteries of similar size to the solar panels (e.g., with thebatteries behind of or to the side of each particular solar panel), andthe PCBs may be behind both the solar panels and the batteries, e.g., onopposed sides of the batteries relative to the solar panels. The LEDsmay in turn be mounted to the PCBs on the sides of the PCBs opposed towhere the batteries are located. Each of such layered assemblies may belocated on a panels that make up sides of an expandable and contractablehousing, such as on one or more panels of a structure that is a hollowcube or other three-dimensional geometric extrusion, among otherpossible form factors, when in an expanded form, and a relatively flatrectangle when in a compressed form. The solar panels may also bearranged adjacent to the PCBs to further minimize overall thickness(e.g., by putting any two or all of the following in the same plane:solar panel PCB, and battery). For example, the solar panel may be lessthan 1 mm thick and positioned adjacent to a PCB that is also less than1 mm thick. The battery may be adjacent to both the solar panel and thePCB, or may be behind the PCB or solar panel. Arranging the solar panel,PCB, and battery adjacent, such in a tri-fold or multi-fold design,further minimizes overall thickness when expanded.

One or more electric charging plugs and/or antenna plugs may also beprovided, into which a smartphone or similar consumer electronic devicemay be connected to receive power and/or radio reception and/or otherassistance from the lamp, or may provide power or other assistance tothe lamp. In such examples, one part of the device may form awater-sealable pouch or other container in which a charging plug islocated with part of its cord, so that a consumer electronic device(e.g., a smartphone) can be slid fully into the pouch, attached to theplug, and charged in a water-tight manner (when the pouch is then sealedshut) so that if the device is subjected to rain or falls into a body ofwater while charging occurs, the consumer electronic device will beprotected. As noted above, the charging plugs may include output plugsso that the batteries of the lamp can charge another device such as asmartphone, and input plugs so that the lamp can be operated from and/orits batteries may be charged by an external battery—or may include plugsthat each may be both input and output plugs depending on the sort ofdevice that is connected to them.

In one implementation, a solar-powered lamp is disclosed that includes aflat bottom pane; a side wall connected at a first end of the lamp tothe flat bottom panel, wherein the lamp is expandable and contractableby collapsing and expanding the side wall; a flat top panel connected tothe sidewall at a second end of the lamp that is opposite the first endof the lamp; an electronics assembly contained in a watertight enclosureof the flat top panel and having a solar panel, a rechargeable battery,a printer circuit board, and one or more LEDs attached to the printedcircuit board; a data/power connector attached to the circuit board,positioned adjacent to the solar panel, and arranged to provide powerfrom the battery to a device that is external to the lamp, provide powerfrom a device that is external to the lamp to the battery, or both; andan enclosure for the data/power connector that can be opened and closedby a user to access the data/power connector, wherein the enclosure issealed watertight when it is closed by the user.

In some aspects, the enclosure comprises a removable cap that isconnected to the flat top panel by a plastic hinge. Also, the removablecap can make a circumferential seal about its periphery with acorresponding surface mounted to the flat top panel. The lamp canadditionally include a handle having a first portion attached to a firstpart of the lamp and a second portion attached to a second part of thelamp on a side of the lamp opposed to where the first portion isattached, and wherein the first and second portions of the handleinclude snap connectors for connecting to each other. Moreover, the lampcan define a sealed inner volume and be inflatable and deflatable. Thelamp can alternatively or additionally include a plurality of chargeindicator lights that, in response to a user input, light up a number oflights that is indicative of a present level of charge of the battery.The flat bottom panel and the flat top panel can be sealed at theiredges to the side wall. Moreover, the data/power connector can be a USBconnector, which can be arranged to pass only electrical power, and notdata.

In certain aspects, the outer peripheries of the flat bottom panel andthe flat top panel match a shape of the side wall, and are sealed to theside wall around the peripheries. In addition, the flat top panel cancomprise a top sheet and a bottom sheet that form a pocket for theelectronics assembly, and wherein the top sheet has a hole in it toprovide access to the data/power connector.

In one implementation, a portable device for generating and providingelectricity is disclosed. The device comprises one or more flat solarpanels; one or more batteries arranged to be changed with electric powerfrom the one or more flat solar panels; one or more lights arranged tobe powered from the one or more batteries; one or more electricconnectors arranged to receive electric power from the one or morebatteries and to connect to combined power/data connections on portableelectronic devices; and an expandable and collapsible housing holdingthe solar panels, batteries, and lights, and arranged to form a hollowinner volume when expanded and a flat panel when contracted. Theexpandable and collapsible housing can be in the form of a rectangularbox when expanded and can include side panels that have diagonalseparations in them that open up as the housing is moved from anexpanded state toward a collapsed state. The device can also include anelastic cord that is located inside the hollow inner volume and hasopposed ends that are each connected to the housing. The elastic cordcan also be directed substantially in parallel with the side panelseparations, so as to tend to pull the separations open or push themclosed and to collapse or expand the device as part of that action.

In another implementation, the solar panel, PCB, and battery combinationmay be integrated into one side of a collapsible cube. The cube shapecan have a valve or other form of air opening on one or more faces, anda solar panel assembly on one or more face. Air, water or gas can beused to expand the cube. The electronic assemblies can be sealed withinplastic (e.g., in a plastic pouch that fits relatively tightly aroundthe electronic assembly to prevent it from moving around relative to therest of the lamp) to be watertight. TPU, PVC, silicone or another formof material can be used and sealed together to block water. As oneexample, an app on a smartphone can be provided that is directed tocontrol of such solar-powered lamps, and a GUI may be provided on thesmartphone through the app so that a user can wirelessly turn the lampon or off, change the colors or color temperatures of the LEDs in thelamp, or set other programmed behavior for the lamp.

The electronic assembly can consist of a solar panel facing outside thecube to collect sun, a PCB board adjacent to (e.g., behind or beside)the solar panel or fused to the solar cells in order to be stackedtogether, and a battery stacked underneath, or located adjacent to thePCB and solar panel. The LEDs can be arranged on the PCB (on a sideopposite the solar panel typically) to maximize light output within thecollapsible lamp. This electronic assembly can be provided with multipleswitches or sensors in order for it to be controlled by the user, eitherremotely or manually. Some of the switches may face exterior to theinner volume, so the user can turn the lamp on or off, or control thecircuit in other ways (e.g., via Bluetooth or WiFi wireless dataconnection from a smartphone or similar device).

The electronic assembly may have its own housing or tray to furtherprotect it. The housing or tray may have holes for the LEDs (and mayhave a silverized coating on the side facing the inside of the lamp soas to maximize reflection of light back into the lamp), an area to holdthe battery in place, and additional fixtures to keep the circuit inplace and support the ports or antennas. The entire electronic assembly,in addition to the plastic housing, can be sealed within layers ofplastic to form one of the surfaces of the cube volume. In othervariations, the housing itself could be transparent and sealed directlyto the volume of the collapsible cube. The electronics can be controlledby the user, either by using a multi-sided PCB, or attaching externalfacing components to a single-sided PCB.

In one variation, a multi-sided PCB has solar cells, switches, indicatorLEDs, and ports on one side, and LEDs on the opposing side. The batteryis stacked underneath the PCB and LEDs are arranged around the batteryto avoid being blocked from shining their light into the housing. Alayer of clear plastic may extend across the face of the solar panel andbe sealed at its edges to the body of the lamp. Because some of theports or sensors may need to be partially exposed in order to facilitatean electrical connection, a plastic cap can be connected to the outersurface layer and arranged over the ports or sensors (to be removableand replaceable over the ports). This plastic cap is designed to fitsnugly around the ports in order for them to be accessed and protected.The plastic cap forms a watertight gasket when it is closed, and when itis open, it allows access to the ports. The ports may be a two-way USBport that has a power input and output mode, or it may be multiple portsor connectors. Magnetic ports may also be used to minimize the profileand depth. The ports may be arranged perpendicular to the circuit boardor parallel with and to the immediate side of it. The watertight cap isa simple but effective method of waterproofing and protecting componentsthat need to be accessed by the user.

In the manufacturing process, the port cap can be sealed to the outerlayer of plastic as a first step. The electronic assembly can then beinserted between the outer layer of plastic and an inner layer ofplastic. In some variations, more than one inner and outer layer can beused so as to protect the electronic assembly. The port cap should bealigned over the ports carefully to ensure proper placement. The portcap can be hollow, or it can be solid and have openings that fit overthe ports. The multiple layers of plastic surrounding the electronicassembly are then sealed together around the outer edges to create awatertight seal. The tooling used to seal or weld the layers of plasticmay have a hole for the port cap to go through while the outer edges arebeing sealed. In another variation, the entire top surface, includingthe port caps, may be molded or formed as a single layer, reducing theneed to separately seal the port cap. Additional adhesive may be used toensure the layers do not shift or move and everything is kept flat. Highfrequency welding may be used to fuse the materials together. The capmay be made out of the same material as the layers of plastic, or it maybe another material that can be fused together effectively with thelayers. If a type of material is used for the cap that cannot be sealed,very strong adhesive can also be used to waterproof it effectively.Adhesives could also be used to create watertight seals between layers.Since the layer of material over the electronic assembly is thin orflexible, the switches and sensors can be manipulated. In othervariations, waterproof buttons are inserted or sealed through the toplayer and provide access to the buttons. The cap could also be onanother surface of the collapsible form and the ports on an adjacentPCB, or connected by cords. Such port implementations can be used withany one of the appropriate formats of lamps discussed below.

In other variations, magnetic surfaces or coils can be used for wirelesstransmission of power and this can be sealed into one or more of thesurfaces, eliminating the need for a waterproof cap or zip-lock. Forexample, a lamp may be provided with a Qi coil that can receive powerwhen the lamp is laid on a Qi pad, or that can serve as a Qi pad whenanother compatible device is laid on top of the lamp. Such wirelesscharging may maximize the efficiency of the assembly by reducing thenumber of elements needed to waterproof it, and allow the electroniccomponents to be even more airtight and watertight. Alternatively, theports themselves can be waterproof, either by having a coating orthrough the lamp design, also eliminating the need for a waterproof cap.

The multi-powering solar lamps can be outfitted with GPS to allow peopleto track where the user is in case of an emergency. The lamps can have amultitude of sensor types, providing the user with useful informationabout things such as the solar charging conditions, weather, distances,sound levels, vibration, and motion. These wireless, multi-poweringsolar lamps can then provide information to people through their phonesvia of Bluetooth, WIFI, or another type of connection.

The LEDs can have automated sensors to turn on and off when it is darkout, or change color when there is rain. This information can be usefulin times of emergency and the lamps can be sent signals to warn people,or to pass along a notification. This system of multi-powering solarlamps can also share information with each other and create groups ofdevices. For example, a group of devices can all be sent the samemessage to start charging another device at the same time, or to allturn on. This connected system of collapsible multi-powering solardevices can be easily deployed because they are packable andlightweight. They can be designed to be deployed by air-dropping withother supplies in emergencies or projecting them to different locations.When they reach their location, they could expand or collapse dependingon what was needed.

Expanding and collapsing can be especially useful in order to maximizesolar charging conditions and orient a lamp to expand or changeorientation relative to where the sun is. For example, a solarcollapsible multi-powering lamp can be a flower shape with leaves. Theseleaves close into a bulb, and then when there is enough sun for thesolar panel to recharge the internal battery, the device could expand tomaximize surface area. This expansion and collapsing can be entirelycontrolled automatically by sensors or manually. Small gears or jointscould be controlled to expand or contract, or a wire could be used thatexpands and contracts by an electric signal. A smart material could alsobe used in a similar way that can respond or change shape either by anelectrical signal, temperature change, or other environmental change.This automation of the expansion and collapsing gives more room forthese devices to be remote and self-sufficient. In times of emergencywhere there is power loss across a large region, thousands could bedeployed easily and quickly to provide charging stations or to plug intopower grid to supplement it and repair it. For islands, since there isso much untapped surface area on the ocean, having waterproof, remotepower sources that can float and be easily deployed has a lot potentialto generate power.

In some aspects, the one or more flat solar panels include a pair ofsolar panels that are located at a right angle with respect to eachother on adjacent sides of the rectangular box when the housing isexpanded, and on a single side of the flat panel and co-planar with eachother when the housing is contracted. In other aspects, the housing hasa folded state in which it is collapsed and the flat panel is foldedover, and wherein the solar panels faces are positioned in opposeddirections from each other on the outside of the housing in the foldedstate, so that both solar panels are exposed to ambient light in thefolded state. Also, surfaces of the side panels can be pre-creased toguide folding of the side panels as the device is changed from theexpanded state to the collapsed state.

In yet other aspects, the expandable and collapsible housing can be in aform of a multi-pointed star; the solar panels can extend longitudinallyaway from a center of the star outward down multiple points of the star;and each point of the star can collapse into a flat panel when thedevice is collapsed. The star can have one or more solar panels on itspoints, or spires. The solar circuit assemblies can be waterproofedinside a housing or box, and this housing can be sealed or attacheddirectly to one or more of the points of the star. The star can be cutout of a plastic or other material as separate points, pre-folded, andthen each point can be connected together to form the full star. Theprocess of using a flat surface that can be pre-folded and scored allowsfor easy collapsing and expanding. Small holes or lines can be laser cutor imprinted into the material to facilitate even smoother folding andunfolding.

In the star format, waterproof LED strips can connect to the solarcircuit and be oriented through the star, or the LEDs can be on the backof the circuit(s). Magnets, hook-and-loop fasteners, or a small tie canbe used to keep the star in its expanded shape. The same type of designcan work for a flower shape or other multi-faceted arrays. The materialcan be printed with patterns or different transparencies to control theLEDs. Because a hanging star will naturally twist in the wind, a smallsensor or stabilizer, e.g., magnetic, could be used to re-orient thestar toward the sun by detecting where the sun is located and orientingthe solar panel to optimize charging.

In other aspects, the expandable and collapsible housing can be in aform of a truncated cone when expanded; and a truncated end of the conecan be at an opposed end of the device from a base end of the cone, andcan move toward the base end when the device is collapsed. In suchaspects, the solar panels can be located in a flat truncated end of thecone, a flat base end of the cone, or both. In this variation, a speakercould be located on the small or large end of the cone and be orientedto project sound into the cone. Also in such aspects, the housing canhave multiple flat walls as walls that make up a periphery of the cone.In yet other aspects, the cones could contain LEDs, batteries, andfunction as portable light bulbs that expand and then collapse. Thecones could plug into a larger system of a flat battery pack and a flatsolar panel. This flat-pack solar energy system could be easilytransported and offer a small house off-grid power. In yet otheraspects, the expandable and collapsible housing is in a form of aplurality of connected flat rectangular panels arranged to expand bybeing rolled into a multi-sided tube and to collapse by being unfoldedinto a flat sheet; and multiple ones of the flat rectangular panelsincorporate a solar panel.

In yet additional aspects of the device, the one or more batteries caninclude a pair of batteries that are each positioned behind a respectiveone of the solar panels, and the system can be arranged so that eithersolar panel can charge either battery, and either battery can power theone or more lights and the one or more connectors. Moreover, the devicecan include a sealable and un-sealable pocket that is arranged toprotect an electronic device from water outside the housing, and whereinthe one or more electric connectors are located inside the pocket. Inaddition, the solar panels, batteries, and lights can be sealed in oneor more pockets having one or more transparent sides to allow sunlightto reach the solar panels and to allow light from the lights to reach aninterior of the housing. The device may also comprise a controllerarranged to communicate through the one or more connectors to supplydata about operation of the device to an application running on anelectronic device, and to allow the data to be displayed to a user ofthe device.

In another implementation, a method of charging a consumer electronicdevice using a solar-powered lamp is disclosed. The method comprisesplacing, in a visible light path of a light source, the solar-power lampthat includes one or more flat solar panels, one or more batteriesarranged to be changed with electric power from the one or more flatsolar panels, and one or more lights arranged to be powered from the oneor more batteries; connecting the lamp to the consumer electronic deviceby an electrical cord that is connected to the one or more batteries;and passing electrical power from the consumer electronic device to thelamp or from the lamp to the consumer electronic device, via theelectrical cord.

In certain implementations, the systems and techniques discussed heremay provide one or more advantages. For example, a very portable devicemay be provided that can act as both a lamp and a charger for variousconsumer electronics devices, and can receive charge and/or data fromother devices. The portable device can be placed in its expanded form toprovide evenly-distributed light in a space such as a campsite or darkroom. And it can be compressed and folded readily for shipping ortransport, with its solar panels facing outward when it is folded andalso when it is expanded so that it can be charging with ambient lightat all times when ambient light is available. The device may also bepackaged so that its own electronics are water-tight from outside thedevice, and may contain a sealable enclosure where a charging smartphoneor other portable electronic device may be placed, so as to provideprotection in the difficult environments where such a charging andlighting device is most likely to operate. The charging port for thedevice may also be placed at an outside edge of the device, and may havea small sealable cap placed over it to maintain it water-tight when itis not connected to an external device, but that may be removed forconnection to an external device (at which point the connection might ormight not be water-tight). In some implementations, multiple deviceshaving solar panels may be electrically daisy-chained to provideadditional charge to a battery bank, so that a user can match the chargegenerated to the particular needs of a situation. As a result, a user ofsuch a device may have multiple problems solved simply and in a way thatwill work even in rough environments.

The details of one or more embodiments are set forth in the accompanyingdrawings and the description below. Other features and advantages willbe apparent from the description and drawings, and from the claims.

DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1A shows a lighting and charging device in an expanded form.

FIG. 1B shows the lighting and charging device being flattened.

FIG. 1C shows the lighting and charging device in a flattened form.

FIG. 1D shows a sealable enclosure on one side of the lighting andcharging device.

FIG. 1E is an exploded view of the lighting and charging device.

FIG. 1F shows a side view of the lighting and charging device inexpanded form.

FIG. 2A shows a lighting and charging device in a compressed and foldedtravel form.

FIG. 2B shows the lighting and charging device unfolded and collapsed.

FIG. 2C shows the lighting and charging device from its back side in acollapsed form.

FIG. 2D shows the lighting and charging device in a collapsed andhanging form, from each side.

FIG. 2E shows the lighting and charging device in an expanded form as alantern, both seated and hanging.

FIG. 2F shows the lighting and charging device hanging and acting as alantern.

FIG. 3A-3B shows schematic diagrams of two sides of electronicstructures for the electronic assembly of a lighting and chargingdevice.

FIGS. 4A-4B show a lighting device in a form of a collapsible truncatedcone.

FIGS. 5A-5E show a lighting device in a roll-up form.

FIGS. 6A-6D show a lighting device in an unfolding star form.

FIGS. 7A-7C show a lighting device made up of reshapable triangularcomponents.

FIGS. 8A-8C show views of a flexible solar-powered lamp.

FIGS. 9A-9B show top and exploded views of an inflatable lamp cubehaving electrical and data input-output ports.

FIGS. 10A-10C show different views of an embodiment of a collapsiblesolar-powered lamp having side access to input/output ports.

FIG. 11 shows an example electrical schematic for a solar-powered lamp.

FIG. 12 is a flow chart showing steps for using a lighting and chargingdevice.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

This document generally describes collapsible devices that use solarpower for lighting and for charging other devices and receiving chargeform other devices, such as smartphones. The collapsible devicesdescribed here may take the form of a lamp when they are expanded, andmay define a hollow (air-filled) inner volume that helps to disperselight that is cast from LEDs into the volume (and may further includescoring, frosting, or other mechanisms on the housing walls to betterdiffuse the light from the housing). Such expanded shape for the devicemay take the form, for example, of a rectangular box, such as a cubewith hollow inner volume, expandable star, panels that can be rolledinto multi-sided tubes, and truncated cones among other forms. In arectangular box example, opposed sidewalls for the housing may be atleast partially open, such as along diagonal lines from one corner to anopposed corner, so that the box may be collapsed flat—i.e., so that thecorners that are away from the scores may be pushed toward each otheruntil they nearly contact in the collapsed state, and so that thecorners at opposed ends of the diagonal scores may be pushed away fromeach other until they are at opposite ends of a flat panel that isformed when the box or other three-dimensional shape is collapsed downto two dimensions. An elastic strap, such as a round or flat cord, mayhelp bias certain ones of the forms toward their open position or theirclosed position to help a user open or close a lamp housing withouthaving to pull on the housing except to first start opening or closingit—i.e., by the strap being attached at each end to a corner edge of thebox that is away from the score line so as to pull the score line shut.The housing may thus, effectively, pop open in response to a limitedstarting force applied by a user. In a rectangular box example, the boxmay be prevented from moving through and past its open position byhaving the side walls on each side of the scores touch each other andlock when the box gets to its fully expanded box configuration. Othermechanisms may also be attached to moving portions of the housing so asto bias the housing toward an open or closed configuration, asappropriate.

Solar panels may be located on one or more sides of the box (or otherform of a lamp), and each solar panel may be arranged in a flat sandwichwith a corresponding battery and circuit board on which are mounted oneor more LEDs—where the associated solar panel, battery, and circuitboard may each be approximately the same size and shape as each other,when viewed down from above—and may be layered, e.g., as solar panel,then battery, then circuit board, then LEDs for lighting the lamp(though two or more of these layers may be combined, such as by placingthe relevant components beside each other as viewed from outside thelamp. The sandwiches may be sealed water-tight and/or airtight from theoutside and from each other, with a transparent cover on the solarpanels, and a transparent panel between the LEDs and the interior of thehousing.

The device may additionally include a sealable pouch, e.g., covering thetwo panels of the box that are not scored and are not covered by solarpanels, and the pouch may be sized to accept a smartphone or otherelectronic device when the lamp device is collapsed. For example, in oneimplementation, when the lamp device is collapsed into a flat rectangle,one side of the rectangle may be solar panels from two adjacent sides ofthe former cube, and the opposed side of the flat rectangle may be asmartphone or other electronic device in a pouch. The pouch may besealed, for example, by a seam that engages from one side of the pouchto the other along an entire edge of the pouch, similar to a zip lock orsimilar sandwich bag closure. A power plug may be located inside thepouch so that a smartphone (or other electrical and electronic device)can be attached to the plug, slid into the pouch, and then the pouchsealed (e.g., via a zip-lock type of plastic seal). The plug may be of aform (e.g., USB) that is capable or carrying both electrical power anddata, though the particular lamp may be arranged to only support one ofthose features and not the other. In other examples, such as where thelamp is provided with solid-state memory storage, the plug can bothprovide and receive data (e.g., so that a traveler could use the lamp tostore photos from a smartphone) and provide and received power.

Moreover, one or more magnets may be integrated into a lamp housing(e.g., placed in closed pockets of the housing or adhered to a sheet ofmaterial that makes up a wall of the housing) and may be employed tohold the lamp to a metallic object (e.g., to hang the lamp readily froma steel beam or to adhere it to the door of an electrical panel), andthus sized to hold sufficiently more than the weight of the lamp tonormal ferrous materials so that the lamp does not easily fall. Suchmagnets may be used additionally or alternatively to hold the lamp in anexpanded or collapsed state (or for both). For example, for a lamp thatrolls into a tube, a magnet may be incorporated into each of opposedends of a sheet that makes up the lamp, and those two magnets may claspwith each other when the sheet is rolled up and the ends are broughtinto proximity with each other. Alternatively, snaps, straps and otherstructures may be used to join one end of a sheet that makes up ahousing to another end of the sheet, such as a short plastic strap thatis adhered to one end, and can tie or snap to the other end, so as tohold the lamp in an expanded form.

The device (whether in this rectangular box form or other formsdiscussed below) may also include electronic sensor packages such as GPSpackages and motion sensor packages. Such sensor packages may collectdata and display it to a user via a display on the lamp or viatransmission to an external device, and/or may transfer collected datato another device or system, such as via a built-in WiFi or cellulardata connection in the lamp and/or transmission to a MiFi-type devicethat may be placed in a water-tight compartment of the lamp and mayreceive data from the lamp via a USB connection that may power theMiFi-type device and provide it data from the lamp, or may simply powerthe MiFi-type device, and that may wirelessly send data to the MiFi-typedevice. In this manner, for example, a hiker could use the lamp togather GPS data and could use a MiFi-type device that they ordinarilyuse for other purposes, so as to send in the GPS data (e.g., to notifyfamily automatically about where they are), and all of it may be poweredusing the solar cells of lamp.

Referring now more particularly to the figures, FIGS. 1A-1C show alighting and charging device 100 in an expanding form. The device 100here is shown as a lamp having an enclosure 104 in the form of anexpanded hollow cube—a particular form of rectangular box where alltwelve edges are essentially equal in length. The enclosure 104 includessix panels between those edges, and two of the edges, adjacent to eachother, contain solar panels 102A, 102B. The solar panels 102A, 102B inthis example are shown on the top and left adjacent panels, which allowsthem and their associated electronics to be connected easily to eachother across the corner they share.

The adjacent-side arrangement of the solar panels 102A, 102B also allowsboth panels 102A, 102B to be exposed to sunlight in multiple differentconfigurations. For example, in the configuration of FIG. 1A, the device100 may be hung from a tab 134, which hanging will place each solarpanel 102A, 102B at a 45 degree angle to vertical, though facing inrelative opposed directions. As a result, both panels will be angledupward to the sun if the device 100 is left hanging outside from the tab134, and at least one panel will be angled toward the sun. When thedevice 100 is collapsed, as shown in FIG. 1C, both solar panels 102A,102B are on the same side of the device 100, and are co-planar with, andadjacent to, each other. By placing the two sets of solar panels 102A,102B and associated electronics (e.g., associated sheet batteries andLEDs with circuit boards) in adjacent panels, the two sets may be moreconveniently interconnected with each other, so that either solar panel102A or 102B may charge either battery, and either battery can providepower to lights on the inside portion of either of the two panels. Also,a single electronic controller may be provided to control the operationof the features in both panels, where electrical connections simply needto pass through the corner of the device 100 that they share with eachother.

The enclosure 104 is made of layers of flexible plastic sheet for eachpanel, where each panel may have one or more layers. A single layer maybe provided on a panel that is merely defining one wall of the housing104, whereas multiple layers may be used where a panel performs afunction such as containing electronics, and there is a need for thepanel to physically separate and contain the electronics both from theoutside of the device 100 and the inside of the housing 104. Layers foradjacent panels may be welded along the line (corner) between the twosolar panels 102A, 102B in order to form a hinge 106, and at the otheredges of the enclosure 104 that are parallel with the hinge 106, or asingle sheet of plastic may wrap around one to four of the walls of thehousing 104. As shown in comparing FIG. 1A in the expanded state andFIG. 1C in the collapsed state then, one can see that two of the hinges,including hinge 106, have opened from 90 to 180 degrees, and two haveclosed from 90 to 0 degrees. Between the hinges discussed here, where apanel has multiple layers, the sheets that are the layers may make uppockets in which the various electronics (whether permanent electronicsthat are part of the device 100, such as solar panels, or temporaryelectronics, such as a smartphone that is placed in a sealable pouch tocharge) may be placed and sealed in so that the device 100 can beessentially watertight in operation. In this example, the solar cells,batteries, circuit boards, electronics, and LEDs may be containedbetween layers that make up permanently—sealed (from the ambient)pockets on two sides of the device 100 (and those pockets can be sealedor not be sealed from each other). The two panels that are on oppositesides from the solar-cell panels may be formed from a pair or layersthat produce a single large pocket and is sealable and unsealable toreceive an electronic device like a smartphone. The remaining panels, onthe side of the device 100, may be made of a single layer of flexibleplastic, and may be arranged to expand and contract—e.g., by having anopen score line diagonally across each panel and each score line beingparallel to the one on the opposite panel, or by having particularlystretch material on the side panels.

The action of the device 100 in first beginning to move from theexpanded state to the collapsed state can be viewed by comparing FIG. 1Awith FIG. 1B. There, it can be seen in the sidewall of the enclosure 104that a diagonal score 108 or seam has been placed from one of thecrosswise edges to the other (from upper left to lower right in thefigures, and a parallel score on the opposed panel which is not visiblein the figure). Though termed a “score” 108, such description is meantto indicate only that an opening has been made on the opposed sidessufficient for the surfaces on opposed sides of the relevant score 108to move away from each other so that the side of the enclosure 104 maymove from a square shape to a diamond shape and then to a flat shape(FIG. 1C). As shown here, the score is a space that extends diagonallyfrom one corner of the cube to an opposed corner on the same panel, orface, of the cube (and a parallel score on the opposed panel of thecube). The folding of the enclosure 104 may be instigated by pressingthe hinge 106 toward its opposed hinge (opposed across the diagonal ofthe housing 104). Such motion may be internally resisted by the device100 via an elastic strap 112, in the form of a round or flat cord, thatis connected between the other side corners of the enclosure 104 (theside corners that are parallel to the hinge 106 corner and its opposedcorner), and that naturally pulls those corners toward each other.

Also, the two portions of the panel on each side of the score 108 mayhave been creased along their centerlines 107 (effectively between thetwo edges that are not the hinge 106 and its opposed edge—from thecenterline of the side of the panel portion that abuts the score to theopposite triangle corner of that panel portion) so that as they aremoved apart and the other edges move together and thus start to collapsethose two panels, the panels will fold neatly at their centers uponthemselves and into the interior of the enclosure 104.

The expanding of the device 100 is performed in the opposite manner,with a user pulling hinge 106 and its opposed edge apart from each otherand/or pushing the other side edges toward each other. Little force maybe required in such a situation where an elastic strap 112 has beenprovided inside the enclosure 104 to help bias the device 100 toward isexpanded state.

Also, as shown in FIG. 1B, stops in the form of tabs 114 are provided oneach of the triangle-shaped half-panels on the side panels of theenclosure 104. The tabs 114 may be integral portions of the half-panelsthat extend slightly from the sides of each half-panel, and that areposition at portions of each half-panel that do not align with eachother, so that the tab 114 for one half-panel is at a different locationalong the score 108 then is the tab 114 for the other half-panel, thoughthey may be located so that the tabs touch when the housing 104 isexpanded, so as to better lock the housing 104 into its expanded form.The tabs 114 extend slightly into or out of the enclosure 104 (e.g., bynatural flexing of the plastic panels at their loose edges), so as tocatch on the opposite triangle-shaped panel when the device 100 gets toits fully-expanded state, and so as to prevent the device 100 fromflattening in the opposed configuration.

In this manner, then, a lantern 100 can be provided that can distributelight fairly evenly by the mechanism of shining lighting into the insideof a cube enclosure 104 (or other hollow three-dimensional shape), andhaving the light disperse from at least two or four walls of the cube,including walls that may be scored or frosted to increase and smooth theamount of light that exits from the enclosure 104 and enters a room. Thelantern can then be folded readily into a flat format for easy shippingor other transportation with the solar panels exposed—e.g., so that auser may place the collapsed device 100 on a back-pack, on theirclothing, on an exterior wall of a building, or elsewhere during thedaytime so that the device 100 can charge its batteries all day long andthen be expanded and used as a lantern and/or electronic device chargerat nightfall. The lantern 100 described and shown in FIGS. 1A-1C mayalso be provided with mechanisms for providing electrical power to,and/or receiving electrical power from, devices external to the lantern,such as smartphones, tablets, and other lanterns. Particular mechanismsfor such charging are described in more detail in the following figures.

FIG. 1D shows a sealable pocket 124 on one side of the lighting andcharging device 100. In this example, the pocket 124 is on an oppositeside as the side shown in FIG. 1C (e.g., on the two panels that are notvisible in FIGS. 1A-1C), and extends across the full length of the twopanels of the box that do not include the solar panels 102A, 102B. Inother words, two sheets for the enclosure 104 (which may be inner andouter sheets) are not welded to each other at the edge that is oppositehinge 106, so that the sheets create a pocket that can be closed to theoutside, but that is open across two panels of the lantern 100.

The pocket 124 is shown here as being clear and including a pair ofelectric accessory plugs 122. The plugs 122 may take the form, forexample, of USB or Lightning male plugs or female plugs, and arearranged to be plugged into the power and data ports on varioussmartphones or other devices that need regular charging, such as iPhonesmartphones, iPad tablets, or smartphones or tablets that run theAndroid operating system. Such port plugs are designed to be capable ofboth providing electric charge and data transfer (e.g., if one end of aUSB cable is plugged into one computing device and the other is pluggedinto another computing device), though in certain uses they may be usedonly to provide electric power or charging. As such, they are referredto in this document is power/data connectors. In certainimplementations, a plug may take the physical form of a power/dataconnector (e.g., USB) but may have connected wires that only support oneof the two functions, such as power provision.

The plugs 122 in certain embodiments may provide (and/or receive) onlyelectric power to such power and data ports on the devices, or mayprovide data communications also. For example, a controller (not shown)that is part of the device 100 may control the manner in whichelectricity is applied from the solar panels 102A, 102B to flatbatteries in the device 100, and how the electricity is applied to LEDsfrom the batteries. The controller may also control how power is appliedfrom the panels 102A, 102B and/or the batteries to an external device,and potentially how power received from an external device is applied tothe batteries and/or the LEDs in the lantern 100. Particular techniquesfor the control and operation of lighting and charging to/from externaldevices is described in more detail below and is applicable to thevarious physical forms of lanterns discussed in this document.

A sealable opening 120 is shown at one edge of the pocket 124 (one ofthe short edges). The sealable opening 120 may take the form ofinterlocking opposed ridges on the two flexible plastic sheets that makeup the enclosure 104 at that location, such as in the form of a Zip-Lockenclosure. A device such as a smartphone can thus be inserted into thepocket 124 through the opening 120, attached to the appropriate plug122, and then the opening 120 may be zipped closed. The smartphone maythen charge within the water-tight protection of the pocket 124 for anamount of time needed to transfer an appropriate amount of electricityto permit appropriate operation of the smartphone. The pouch 124 mayextend across the length of two panels of the cube, and the pocket 124may be left open at the edge corner between those two panels so that thesmartphone or other device may extend across the length of both panelswhen it is in the pouch 124 and the device is in a collapsed form, orstate. The panel that makes up an outer wall of the pocket may be sealed(e.g., heat-sealed) on the three of its sides where the opening 120 isnot located, such as to an inner sheet that makes up two of the panelsof the cube housing 104 and define an outer wall of an interior voidinside the housing 104 when the housing 104 is expanded. Also, in someimplementations, the outer layer of plastic at the pocket 124 may beformed of a material that does not interfere with use of touchscreendisplays, so that a user can operate the smartphone while it is stillsealed inside the pocket 124.

FIG. 1E is an exploded view of the lighting and charging device 100. Ingeneral, this view shows the various layers that may make up theenclosure 104, though in actual implementation, the layers would beadhered to each other (e.g., with an adhesive or via heat or sonicwelding) at certain locations, such as along the line of hinge 106 (seeFIG. 1A) and other edges of the enclosure 104 that are parallel to thehinge 106—basically at all 90 degree corners of the cube other thanwhere the pocked extends across two panels.

The device 100 is made up of various layers, including layers of plasticsheet that are cut at their peripheries to achieve the functionalitydescribed above. The layers may be positioned similar to in the imageduring manufacture, and the sheets may be joined so as to hold thevarious components in place, and then the flat structure may be foldedand have certain edges further joined so as to form up the fullexpandable/collapsible cube shown in the previous figures. For example,a top layer 140 is in the form of a rectangle and has four panels ofsubstantially equal size, with a tab 146 that overlaps and is adhered tothe opposite panel when the layer 140 is formed into a box inmanufacture. A bottom layer 142 also includes four square panels thateach correspond to one of the panels in the top layer 140. The bottomlayer 142 also includes triangular panels 146 that extend on both sidesof the middle two square panels in the bottom layer 142 (though theycould also be extended similarly from the top layer 140). Thesetriangular panels 146 may make up the sides of the enclosure 104 whenthe device 100 is in its expanded form as a cube. Each such triangularpanel 146 includes a compressed line 148 down its center, so as toencourage folding of the relevant panel along that line (correspondingto centerlines 107 in the figures above). The lines may be formed bypartially scoring the panel at that location, partially melting throughthe panel at that location, or by forming the panel so that the sheet isthinner at the compressed line 148.

Located between the top layer 140 and the bottom layer 142, which areeach made from flat plastic sheets, is a relatively flat (though not asflat as the sheets) electronic layer 150. The electronic layer 150 maybe located in one or more panels of the device 100, and here is locatedin two panels as two separate physical structures. The electronic layer150 may include solar panels, batteries, a printed circuit board orboards, LEDs, switches, and associated circuitry (e.g., one or moremicroprocessors) for operating the lighting and charging functionality.Example electronics are shown in circuit diagram at FIG. 11 below. Theelectronic layer 150 may be sealed by, in a manufacturing process,positioning the layers as they are shown here, and sealing the twoplastic sheets to each other at the peripheries of some or all of thepanels. Generally, the side edges will all be sealed, whereas certain ofthe cross edges might not be, such as the edge between the two solarpanels (or at least a passage for wiring will be left, and the rest ofthe edge will be sealed), and the edge opposite that edge (because aseal would block a smartphone or other device from extending the fulllength of a protective pouch).

FIG. 1F shows the lamp 100 after manufacture from one side. The solarpanels 102A, 102B and underlying remainder of the electronic assemblies150 are shown on the top and left panels of the lamp 100. The score 108opening is also shown, though it is essentially closed here because thelamp 100 is in its expanded state. The tabs 114 of FIGS. 1B and 1C arenot shown in this particular implementation, though they could also beincluded to help prevent the box from overextending and then collapsingin an opposite direction from its normal direction. The plugs 122 areshown here, extending from panel 102B on one side of the lamp 100 toanother side. The pocket that holds panel 102B may have a water-tightseal from the pocket that holds panel 102A and from the pocket (nowshown) that would enclose plugs 122, through each such pocket may beelectrically connected even if it is water-tight from the outside of thelamp 100 and water-tight from the other pockets.

FIG. 2A shows a lighting and charging device 200 in a compressed andfolded travel form. The device 200 in this example may be the same as orsimilar to device 100 discussed with respect to FIGS. 1A-1F. As shown inFIG. 1A, it has been both compressed flat into a rectangle, and thenfolded in half into a square form (where all six panels of the cube arealigned with each other when viewed from the top, and parallel to eachother when viewed from the side). A single solar panel 202A of thedevice 200 can be seen facing upward toward the viewer, and as suchcould be capable of collecting light and generating electricity for flatbatteries contained inside the device 200. If the device 200 is the sameas device 100 in FIGS. 1A-1F, another solar panel (not shown) would befacing downward.

A flexible strap 212 bisects the device and wraps fully around it, or atleast fully around its sides and top, to keep it in a very flat andcompact form (so it does not self-expand). The strap (or at least alayer at the end of the trap) may be formed with a common hook-and-loopmaterial that has hooks on one side and loops on the opposed side. Thus,the strap 212 may be run through a passage in a tab 234, and routed backso as to contact and lock into itself so that it stays tight on thedevice 200. The strap 212 may also be held tight with correspondingsnaps, one on the strap 212 and another on the device 200 body or onanother strap the extends in a direction around the device 200 oppositeto the direction of strap 212.

Though not shown in detail, the device 200 may have in the pouch withthe smartphone one or more power/data connectors, such as in the form ofUSB or Lightning plugs, which may be implemented as described above forthe device 100 of FIGS. 1A-1E.

FIG. 2B shows the lighting and charging device 200 unfolded but stillcollapsed. Here, the strap 212 has been pulled away from itself andslipped out of tab 234. An anchored end of the strap 212 is stillpermanently attached to another tab 236 so as to not be separatedaccidentally from the device 200. In this mode, the device 200 is halfas thick and twice as wide (in one dimension) as it was in the foldedmode of FIG. 2A. Also, a second solar panel 202B is now exposed alongwith solar panel 202A, and they both aim in the same direction as eachother. In this mode, the device 200 can be laid on top of a horizontalsurface, and receive solar energy into both solar panels 202A, 202Bsimultaneously, so as to maximize its charging. For example, a user maylay the device 200 on a table or a roof while they go about their day,and may return at the end of the day to a fully charged device. Or, forexample, the device 200 could be hung down the back of a hiker'sbackpack, with both panels receiving sunlight.

FIG. 2C shows the lighting and charging device 200 from its back side ina collapsed form. This view is the device 200 from FIG. 2B, but flippedover so that the solar panels are facing down. An extra sheet of plasticis on this side of the device 100 and is sealed along three edges, witha sealable and unsealable fourth edge (e.g., the edge closest to thepermanent tab 236 for strap 212). A smartphone is shown having beenplaced into a pouch so formed (similar to the pouch discussed for FIGS.1A-1E), and the fourth edge may be snapped shut (e.g., via a Zip-Lock orother enclosure mechanism) essentially watertight so as to protect thesmartphone from getting wet (e.g., if it is raining or if the user is ahiker and drops their backpack into a stream or lake). The plasticsurface of the pouch may be formed of a material that does not interferewith operation of a touchscreen on the device, so that a user may presstheir finger against the outside of the pouch to operate the smartphonethat is held inside the pouch.

FIG. 2D shows the lighting and charging device 200 in a collapsed andhanging form. Here, rather than being laid on a horizontal surface, thedevice 200 may be hung vertically from the strap 212. Such an approachmay be used when some level of light is desired from the device 200 andthe device 200 may be hung in a room, though in this configuration, thesmartphone would block much of the light, and the hollow inside of thehousing would not be available to better distribute the light. Moregenerally, this configuration may be used to hang the device 200 from aportion of a backpack so that both solar cells 202A, 202B are facingoutward and capable of capturing sunlight.

FIG. 2E shows the lighting and charging device 200 in an expanded formas a lantern, from two angles. This is the form the device 200 may takewhen a user wants to generate real light from the device 200. The devicemay be expanded by pulling its opposite compressed sides apart from eachother, and may be aided by the natural contraction of a resilient cordthat is connected between the edges of the enclosure that are farthestfrom each other when the device 200 is collapsed (as discussed above forFIGS. 1A-1E). Also in this example, the strap 212 has been passedthrough an opening in tab 234 that is sized to receive the strap 212.Such a configuration allows the device 200 to be hung in a way thatpoints the two panels of the housing that have solar panels upward, andthus the two other panels downward. As shown in FIG. 2F, those lowerpanels are transparent with some frosting, and help cause light to bedispersed better downward into a room below which the device 200 ishung.

FIG. 3 shows schematic diagrams of two sides of electronic structuresfor a lighting and charging device. In this example, a pair of solarpanels 302A, 302B is shown, and may be like the panels 102A, 102B, 202A,and 202B discussed above. The panels 302A, 302B may take a variety offamiliar forms, and can be either rigid or flexible panels, or acombination of the two. Various example positional arrangements forsolar panels are shown and discussed with respect to the figures below(e.g., FIGS. 4A, 4B, 5A, 5E, 6A-6D 7A.7C, 8A-8C). The electronicsdiscussed here and in other figures above and below may be implementedin each of those configurations, though with the shapes and positions ofthe electronics assemblies and their underlying components varying tomatch the particular shape of each configuration. Each such shape orconfiguration for a device may also be implemented with or without theexternal charging features (charging to and from devices external to thelamp or other device that has the solar panels and batteries) discussedherein.

Panel 302A is slightly smaller than is panel 302B so that both can fitin similarly-sized sides of a lantern device, but panel 302A may leaveroom for a user control panel 304 which is located along one peripheraledge of panel 304 and overlies a printed circuit board that is alsounder panel 302A and parallel with panel 302A. The control panel 304 mayinclude one or more input and/or output devices for an operator of alantern. For example, a power button 306 may be pushed by a user tolight a lantern and may be pushed additional times to light the lanternto different brightness levels, with the consecutively pushes eventuallycycling back to returning the lantern to an off state (and subsequentpushes turning the lantern back on and then through different levels ofbrightness). Also, a status LED 308 may light when the lantern ischarging, when the batteries are fully charged, or in other situations,so as to inform a user of a particular state of the lantern. The LED 308may also blink at one or more speeds to provide additional informationto a user. A numeric (e.g., seven segment) display (not shown) may alsobe provided to show a level of charge for batteries in the device (e.g.,graduated as 0 to 100%).

A pair of plugs 310, e.g., a USB and Lightning plug, are connected topanel 302A (or more specifically, to a printed circuit board to whichpanel 302A is also connected) by wires 312 and may be plugged into asmartphone or other chargeable device to provide power that has beencaptured by panel 302A and 302B and subsequently stored in flatbatteries attached to the backs of panels 302A and 302B, or to receivepower from an external device to charge batteries. Also, the controlpanel 304 and the panels 302A and 302B may both be connected to a commonprinted circuit board, along with the wires 312, and thus electricallyinterconnected, along with other components (e.g., control ICs).

At shown in the lower example in FIG. 3 , the backs of the panels 302Aand 302B are shown (i.e., the device has been effectively flipped overfrom the upper figures). These back sides, when the panels are insertedinto an enclosure for a lantern, would aim inward into the hollow centerof the lantern, whether directly or through a transparent inner layerthat makes up an inner enclosure of the lantern. These back sides, whichmay be the back side of a printed circuit board, may include one of moreLED lights 314 that are mounted to the circuit boards and are connectedto be powered from batteries that are charged by the solar panels, andthat also supply electric power to the plugs 310.

The “sandwich” structure of these flat panels (where a solar panel andcontrol panel are in a first layer, a printed circuit board is in anunderlying parallel layer, and LEDs are in a further underlying layer)may take a variety of forms. For example, to save money, a singlecircuit board may be used in each panel of the device, to which each ofthe electronic components (solar panels, control panel, and lightingLEDs) may be me mounted, with the “outward” components (solar panels andcontrol panel) mounted to one side of the circuit boards, and the“inward” components (lighting LEDs) mounted to the opposed side of thecircuit boards. To accommodate flat batteries in such arrangementswithout blocking either the solar panels' view of the sun or the LEDs'view of the inside of the lantern, the flat batteries may cover lessthan the entirety of the squares shown here, e.g., as shown in the lowerleft representation of FIG. 3 , the battery may lie behind one half of asolar panel, and the LEDs may be offset and be mounted to the otherhalf. Depending on the battery need identified, such an arrangement canbe used for both panels, and the LEDs may be located on the sidesopposite each other (e.g., the outer left and outer right sides in FIG.3 , though as picture, the right panel has the LEDs centered and with nobattery there).

FIGS. 4A-4C show a lighting device 400 in a form of a collapsibletruncated cone. This solar rechargeable device 400 can be used toilluminate a garden, patio, pool, pathway, or home, as with the otherlamps discussed here. It has a solar LED circuit (not shown) integratedinto one of the faces 406, which may be its top face when one of itsopposed flat faces (402) is at its base. The solar circuit has brightLEDs that shine into the internal volume of the lantern 400, and a solarpanel 408 that faces opposite the LEDs (not shown), where a PCB (notshown) may be sandwiched between the two. The product is designed tocollapse down to a more compact form factor that can be easilytransported or stored when not in use.

The device 400 in this example is shown to have eight sloping andtapered side panels that may be made from a clear or smoked flexibleplastic material, and may be bent at sharp lines like line 405 to makeup the eight sloping sides of the device 400. The right view of FIG. 4Ashows the device 400 in a collapsed state, where each of the side walls404 may have been scored or thinned at points extending as horizontallines around the device 400, so that when the face 406 is pusheddownward (e.g., by the palm of a user), the walls 404 will accordion,and thus allow the face 406 to move downward until the device 400 ismuch shorter than its expanded height. In some examples, the device 400may be sealed or sealable on its inside and inflatable, so that thewalls 404 and faces 402, 406 may form an enclosed inner volume intowhich inflating air can be received. In FIG. 4B, a valve 422 foradmitting and removing such air is shown. Also as shown in FIG. 4B, apair of devices 400 may be connected to each other, such as via magnets420 in corresponding faces 406. When such a stacked or connectedarrangement is made, electrical connections may also be made betweendevices, so that power for one device (e.g., that holds solar panelsand/or batteries) may be provide to another device (e.g., that holdsLEDs or connectors for external devices such as smartphones). Forexample, in this implementation, both pictured lamps may hold solarpanels, batteries, and LEDs, but their connection may allow them both toprovide light at a single level for a maximum period of time, by theirsharing of the power they have stored in their batteries.

Electrical connections between these devices 400 and others that connector snap together (whether by mechanical friction fit connections (likeLEGO blocks) or magnetic connections), may be made by two or moreconductive extensions that rest against corresponding two or moreconductive pads, or by each device having pads that extend outward froma surface and contact other pads that extend outward from a surface ofanother lamp, where the pads can flex back closer to flush with theirsurfaces when the devices are pressed up against each other (e.g., viamagnetic force). Other appropriate electrical connectors may also beused as long as they are able to make a reliable and convenientelectrical circuit or circuits, with a general goal of having themconnect and disconnect from each other reliably via the same user motionthat places the devices in contact with each other, and in a way thatallows a user to easily align the devices, whereby such device alignmentwill also lead to alignment and connection of the electrical contacts.

The device 400 contains a solar LED circuit (not shown) that has arechargeable battery, LEDs, components to regulate the LEDs andcharging, and a solar panel or solar cells connected to the circuitboard—in manners similar to those discussed above for other forms oflamps, though in a different shape to match the shape of the device 400.The rechargeable battery can be recharged by the solar panel 408, or insome cases by an additional power input such as a micro USB input(connected in manners discussed for the other embodiments above andbelow). The circuit may have one or more press buttons or switches tocontrol the LEDs and to check the battery power. The circuit may alsohave an auto sensor that automatically turns the LEDs on when it getsdark, making it convenient to use the lantern to illuminate a pathway atnight or as a pool. The LEDs shine into the main body and are semi orpartially diffused through the surface of the primary material (e.g., bythe material having a smoked or clouded appearance).

Where the device is tapered in this way, the solar panels may bepositioned on one of the opposed faces/ends (or both), where they cancollect sunlight when they are positioned upward. Panels on the smallface/end 406 may make the device more stable when it is placed on asurface and also allow the light to spread upward and outward moreeffective. Panels on the larger face/end 402 allow the device to capturemore sunlight via larger panels, and spread the light better downward,and thus may be particularly appropriate for a walkway lamp.

As shown the device 400 is designed to collapse down for easy storage ortransportation when not in use or when charging. For example, if someonewants to put the device 400 away for the winter, that person can easilycollapse the product down and put it into storage. Additionally, packingit down also reduces shipping charges when transporting it, and alsomakes it easier to carry one or more devices 400 in or on a backpack orother storage item. As noted above, the collapsing may occur by havingperipheral scores or other weaknesses placed at different heights aroundthe edge of the lamp, where the scores may be off-center relative to thethickness of the walls so that every other seam is biased to bend in anopposite direction so as to form the structure shown on the right ofFIG. 4A when the lamp is collapsed. One or more openings may be placedin the walls of the chamber produced in the lamp to let air in or out asthe lamp is collapsed or expanded—whether the movement of air causes theexpansion/contraction or the expansion/contraction causes the movementof air in and out of the housing. Where the lamp is designed to beinflatable, an openable and closable valve (e.g., valve 422)—like afloating raft valve—may be provided to seal air inside the housing. Thewall opposed to the LEDs that shine into the housing may be maypartially or wholly reflective in some embodiments so as to reflectlight back into the housing, or may be essentially clear (though perhapsclouded) so as to allow light out the bottom of the lamp (e.g., if it ishanging).

A material that may be used in the housing is a silicone material, butit could also be another type of soft plastic material such as EVA, TPU,rubber, or another blend. These materials may also be used for the wallsand substrates of the other devices discussed with the figures above andbelow. The product collapses because the side walls having varyingthickness or density to allow the walls to collapse in on each other and“fold” down. The same effect could be achieved with a fabric exteriorand a rigid frame to provide structure to the fabric. The frame couldhave hinges to allow it to collapse.

FIGS. 5A-5E show a lighting device 500 in a roll-up form. This solarrechargeable lamp and phone charger can be used as a lightweight, easilytransportable lantern for camping, backpacking, or other outdooractivities. The device's 500 extremely compact design folds or rolls upas a tube and unfolds or unrolls into a flat surface. It can double as aflashlight when folded. Moreover, it can be rolled in one direction intoa tube for which the LEDs face outward, and an opposite direction into atube for which the LEDs face inward.

Referring now more specifically to the figures, the design has fivesolar panels 502 on five different panels of the device 100, that areconnected to each other with flexible electrical connections, whichconnectors may pass through the hinge portions of the wall of the lamphousing between the panels for each side of the device 500. Each devicepanel may be formed of a pouch inside of which corresponding electronics(a solar panel 502, underlying printed circuit board with appropriatecircuitry and underlying LED lights) are sealed-water tight. The solarpanels 502 are connected to PCBs (and may have their back sides incontact with the respective PCBs or be integrated into one surface ofthe respective PCBs), a rechargeable battery 522 (or multiple batteries522), a number of LEDs 520, 524 (e.g., 1-10, generally evenly andsymmetrically spaced), as well as additional components to regulate theflow of current to the batteries 522 and LEDs 520, 524. The supportingelectronics for the LEDs may be located in one side panel of thehousing, and that panel may or may not have LEDs in it, while the otherpanels may have LEDs and solar panels 502 in them. Each panel may have asubstantially clear inner film and a substantially clear outer filmsealed at at least some edges to the inner film, so that the electronicassemblies are sealed from the atmosphere both inside and outside thefolded lamp.

The lamp may be provided with a USB assembly 508 having one or more USBinput ports to recharge the battery by an external power source, and oneor more USB output ports to charge a phone or other devices—or a portthat can provide electrical power in either direction. In this example,the assembly 508 is at the end of one of the sidewall segments for thedevice 510, where each segment is a isociles triangle in shape and has amatching plastic or rubberized cap of the same cross-sectional shape soas to provide a water tight seal over the assembly when the ports arenot connected to anything. The segment having the assembly 508 may alsocontain the batteries for the device, and as a result, not have LEDs forlifting the device. In contrast, the remaining segments may be mostlyhollow and contain LEDs aimed toward their interiors so as to causelight to emanate from two of the walls for each segment, outward fromthe serrated side of the device 500 when it is laid flat.

The device 500 can be held in a rolled-up form by a strap 506 having oneor more snaps 510, 512 that can mate with a corresponding snap 514elsewhere along a mid-portion of the device 500 positioned so that thestrap 506 can be wrapped around the segments of the device 500 when theyare rolled up tight, and thus hold them in a rolled up position.

This shape has five sides and rolls into a pentagonal tube; however, thelamp could alternatively easily have more or fewer sides depending onthe design. The surface in this variation has five peaks for its inside;however, it could also be flat or have a different extrudedcross-sectional shape.

When unfolded, the solar panels 502 can all be exposed to the sun at onetime (they may all be on common sides of each of the side panels of thefoldable housing, in pockets that are watertight from the outside andoptionally watertight from each other, though electrically connected orunconnected from each other). A user can attach the lamp to a backpackand charge it on-the-go. Once the lamp is charged, the user can roll itback up into the tube shape and put it in the backpack when a lantern isneeded or what an additional battery back-up is needed to recharge aphone or other device. In flashlight mode, the lamp is focused out onespecific end of the tube, similar to a conventional flashlight—as extraLED lights are positioned very close to one end of each panel at acommon end of the device 500. In lantern mode, the LEDs shine throughthe surface, the peaks in this design, and are diffused through thematerial. The glowing surface can be used to light a tent or to light aroom when electric power fails—e.g., by hanging the device 500 via strap506 from a sidewall of the room or from the middle of the room. Theouter edges of the lamp have magnets so that the pentagonal tube staysclosed and when unfolded all the way, the product can also form alantern shape.

FIG. 5E shows a version of the device 500 by which multiple such devices500 can be daisy-chained to produce a device 500 that generates a largersurface area of light. In this example, multiple devices 500 areconnected via snap tabs 530 which may have female connectors on theirtop sides and male connectors on their bottom sides so that any device500 can be snapped on top of or below any other device in a string. Theconnections may be only mechanical so as to create a large light, or mayalso be electrical, in that electrical contacts can be provided, e.g.,inside the snap tabs 530 (with a positive connection at one tab and anegative connection at another) or at a different location. With anelectrical connection, power may be shared between devices 500 inmanners like those described above and below—e.g., a battery in onedevice can receive power from solar panels in another device, or mayprovide power to LED lights in another device. In certainimplementations, data connections can also be provided between thedifferent devices 500, such as to carry control signals that cause eachdevice 500 to change its lighting in response to a user input from afirst of the devices.

The device 500 here may be constructed from various types of solarpanels and circuit boards. In one variation, the device 500 could bemade out of flexible solar panels and flexible circuit boards tominimize the overall thickness and weight of the lamp.

The primary material for the plastic housing of the lamp may be siliconeor another type of flexible material such as EVA, TPU, PET, or fabric.The material would generally be transparent or semi-transparent so as topermit light to pass into it (for collection by the solar panels) or outof it (for provision from the LEDs to a surrounding atmosphere).Magnets, snaps, and/or a cord may be attached to the lamp and may allowa user to keep it folded in various positions. The solar panels andcircuits may be integrated into the lamp so that they are protected fromthe elements. A cap over the ports may be arranged to fit tightly toensure the ports are waterproof.

FIG. 6 shows a lighting device 600 in an unfolding star form. Paper starlanterns are frequently used to decorate patios and porches. The designshown in FIG. 6 integrates a solar LED circuit into a star to create asustainable, rechargeable, durable, and waterproof lantern. The solarstar packs down flat and unfolds to create a star shape.

As shown in the figure, one face of a spire 602 of the star has anembedded solar panel 608 LED circuit integrated into it (e.g., in apocket between two transparent or semi-transparent sheets on opposedsides of the face). The solar panel 608 is positioned to face toward theoutside of the star to collect sunlight and recharge a rechargeablebattery to power the LEDs, and may be positioned on a side of the spire602 that is aimed upward when the spire is hung from a provided hook(not shown). The power collected by the solar panel 608 may provide toLEDs on a PCB on the back side of the solar panel, so as to shine intoan interior volume of the device 600. Alternatively, or in addition, anadjacent outward-facing face of the spire 602, on the same side of thestar, may have another solar panel or a panel of LED lights 604, wherein the latter instance, the LED lights may face downward and cast lightoutside of the device 600. In other words, light may be directedinwardly into spires that are made from semi-transparent plastic, orlight may be directed outwardly from a panel of the device that isdifferent than the panel on which the solar panel 608 is located, orboth. To make outward direction of light more uniform, the outer layerof any face bearing lights may be frosted, whereas the outer surface ofany face bearing a solar panel may be clear.

A PCB, rechargeable battery, LEDs, and other components to regulate theflow of current are located on the underside of the solar panel 608 inany given spire that has a solar panel. The components may be connectedto each other by wires (e.g., PCB traces) and in a separate location ina different design configuration. Additionally, more solar panels 608could be used if more power is needed. The circuit may be designed to becompact and waterproof (e.g., either intrinsically or by being locatedinside a sealed pocket) and fully integrated into the star so that it issecure when the star is folded and unfolded. The LEDs are configured toshine into the star shape (and potentially toward a back side of thestar where they may pass out of the star or be reflected into theinterior of the star housing, or shine directly out of it such as bybeing placed on a face of a spire that does not have. Switches may belocated on the PCB so that a user can control the LEDs and check thebattery power. The solar star may also have an auto sensor that turnsthe LEDs on when there is movement or when the surrounding environsbecome sufficiently dark.

The star may be made out of a combination of rigid and flexiblematerials to provide it with the needed structure and ensure that itstays lightweight and easy to pack when not in use. In this design, thematerials used may be a semi-rigid plastic material to create a frame,and a transparent or semi-transparent silicone material to create thewindows in the frame that allow the light through. In otherconfigurations, the star could be constructed from a foldedsemi-transparent or transparent plastic sheet material or fabric. In allconfigurations, the lamp may be designed to pack flat and then expandinto full usable form. When not in use, the user can pack the lamp upand store in the user's house for when the lamp is needed. In thepictured configuration, the design is expandable and contractible butnot inflatable; however, it could easily be made to be a closed shellthat expands into a star shape when inflated. Magnets, Velcro, snaps, ora small tie can be used to keep the star in its expanded shape, andcould likewise be used to keep it flat. The material can be cut orscored along the folding lines to create sharper creases and smootherfolding. In some variations, the solar panel could be located separatefrom the star. The stars could hook and join together similar to stringlights, creating an electrical connection between them that could varyin distance. This system could then connect into a larger flat-packbatter and solar panel system.

The various spires 602 may be permanently connected to each other as asingle unitary device (which may have permanent wiring between eachspired) or may be connectable and disconnectable. Connection may occur,for example, via magnets or mechanical friction connectors placed oncorresponding inner faces of each spire, so that spires can be “snapped”together and apart readily by a user. Those physical connectors may alsoprovide electrical connection between spires in some implementations.Each spire may implement only light collection (via solar panel), onlylight distribution (via LEDs), or both. For example, one spire 602 in astar may be provided with solar panels, whereas the other spires may beprovided with LEDs, and may obtain their electrical power from the firstspire. If a user of such a star desires longer lighting or otherwisewants more power, they could swap out a lighting spire for a powerspire, or just add a power spire to an uncompleted star (e.g., theincomplete star of FIG. 6C). Circuitry, including control circuitry, ineach spire can recognize whether the adjacent spires provide power orseek power, and can adjust according. Also, where the spires are wiredin series, a spire closest to a power source may light itself and if itdetermines that insufficient power exists for other spires, it may blockthe flow of power to the next spire in a chain. The spires themselvesmay also be expandable or contractable (see, e.g., FIG. 6D) by snappingthem open or closed (optionally with the assistant of a biased cord orother structure (such as in FIGS. 1A-1E) or may have their inner volumesealed from the ambient, and be inflatable and deflatable.

FIGS. 7A-7C show another format for a reconfigurable solar lamp device400. This format is generally in the form of a sheet that is bendablealong multiple different vertical lines, horizontal lines, andforty-five degree lines, which is achieved by having only a flexibleplastic substrate at these lines, and placing more rigid materials suchas PCBs, batteries, and solar panels, off of those fold lines. In arelated implementation, the device 700 can be provided in the form of atraditional “snake cube puzzle,” where a number of three-dimensionaltriangular pieces are strung together, and can be folded in variousdirections at each interface between two triangles so as to produce avariety of shapes.

Referring more specifically to FIGS. 7A-7C, the device 700, in thisexample, is a prototype that uses pieces of paper to represent solarpanels, PCBs, batteries, and other electrical components. Three verticalrows 702A, 702B, and 702C of the device 700 are split horizontally intofour pieces, and each of those pieces id split diagonally into foursub-pieces. Each sub-piece may include solar panels, LED lights, orboth, along with a PCB and relevant circuitry for powering the lightsand controlling them. The fourth column 804 is split into four squares,and may house four different batteries, which may be wired together (inparallel or serial) and be connected to the triangular sub-pieces viawires and other appropriate connectors. Each triangle can have only asolar panel or only a set of LEDs (where the LEDs can face the same sideof the device 700 as do the panels, an opposite side, or both), or canhave a solar panel facing one direction and the LEDs facing anotherdirection, within a watertight pouch—including where each pouch can holdboth a solar panel and one or more LEDs.

FIG. 7B shows the device 700 folded in varying directions to produce acomplex shape, where, sub-piece 706 may be, for example, a pouch holdinga LED and PCB, where the LED may be aimed down toward the hand of theperson holding the device 700, and the same or other sub-pieces mayinclude solar panels that are facing upward and away from the hand ofthe user. FIG. 7C shows the same device 800, but folded into a much lesscomplex form. This example has three sides because the battery column704 has been tucked behind one of the other columns as part of thefolding process. In this form then, the device 700 produces a tubedflashlight form like the device 500 of FIGS. 5A-5E. The other relevantstructures from those figures (e.g., a strap and LEDs clustered near oneedge of the device) can also be implemented with device 800 in mannerslike those discussed above.

FIGS. 8A-8C show another configuration of lantern device formed as aflexible sheet. In this example, the solar panels are flexible and thePCBs are made flexible or are eliminated, such as by forming wiringtraces that connected different sub-pieces on a flexible plasticsubstrate that serves as the overall structure for the device 800.

In this example, the device 800 has a flexible PCB 804 onto which areplaced LEDs at spaced apart sub-areas that are set out as squares at aforty-five degree angle to the rectangular shape of the sheet substrate806. Solar panels 802 are placed in the other sub-areas, and the rationof LED sub-areas to solar panel sub-areas may be based on adetermination of the amount of energy created by each solar panel for atypical day compared to the amount of energy consumed by the typicalLED, the amount of time lighting is desired, and the amount of liht thatis desire.

Mechanisms for controlling the lighting of the LEDs are adhered andconnected electrically to traces on the flexible substrate at the rightend of the device 900 as shown in FIG. 9A. For example, a film powerswitch 912 may be pressed by a user to turn the LEDs on and off, and insome implementations, a microprocessor controller that receives inputsfrom the switch 912 may be programmed to cycle the LEDs throughdifferent levels of brightness for subsequent pushes (either making eachLED less bright or causing few of the LEDs to be activated). The switch912 may be sealed watertight along with the rest of the electronics usedin device 900. A row of indicator lights 914 may, at appropriate times,show status information such as the current charge status of batteriesin the device 900 (e.g., four lights for a fully charged batter and onelight for a low charge, and perhaps one blinking light for a batteryabout to run out of charge). Under the surface of this area, and underor adjacent to the other components, a thin flat rechargeable battery908 may be mounted. Also, one or more data/power ports 910 may beprovided and attached in manners like those discussed above and below toprovide power from the battery 908 solar panels 902 or to the battery908 and lights 904. FIG. 9B shows the device 900 of FIG. 9A in a flatstate from above, with the LED lights activated. Here, there is a ratioof lights (14 total) to solar panels (total 58) of 24%. FIG. 8C showsthe device 800 rolled slightly so as to demonstrate the flexibility ofthe substrate or flexible circuit board on which the other componentsare mounted. The batteries are placed at one end of the device becausethey typically would be some of the least flexible components, and theirplacement at the end will thus minimize their interference with theoverall flexibility of the device 900.

In other implementations where surfaces on which solar panels and lightsare mounted are broken into many essentially-equal areas, the ration ofspace taken by lights to space taken by solar panels may be in ranges of10% to 20%, 20% to 30%, 30% to 40%, and values of about 20%, about 25%,about 30%, and about 35%, where the acceptable range is based on theability of the solar panels on a typical lit day in a typicalenvironment to generate enough energy to light the device 900 for adesired period such as a period needed from dusk to bed time (e.g., 4,6, or 8 hours).

With respect to electrical input or output ports on a lamp, for both theconfigurations discussed above and below, the input/output ports may belocated on the same face of the lamp as the solar panel, or they may belocated on another face of the lamp. Each of the various configurationsmay or may not include a valve, e.g., to permit manual inflation andthus expansion of a lamp. The input and output power ports may beprotected from external elements with a waterproof cap that is sealed tothe surface of the lamp, and when closed, an inner or outer surface ofthe cap may slide into or around an outer or inner corresponding surfaceof a flange mounted to the lamp, so as to make a water-tight seal. Thecap can be opened and closed to expose the input and output ports. Insome implementations, the cap has a small tab or door hinge that can beflipped open to access the ports. In some implementations, the cap maytwist or slid to expose the ports. In some implementations, the cap is asemi-rigid plastic cap that protects the ports. In theseimplementations, the cap may be removably sealed around its edges to oneof the surfaces of the lamp, forming a waterproof tight seal. In some ofthe implementations depicted in the figures, the cap may be molded outof a thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) material and sealed to a topsurface of the collapsible lantern that is also made from a TPUmaterial. Glue or additional adhesive may be used to secure thecomponents in place. Fusing the material that protects the cap to thematerial of the lantern may be important to provide a waterproof sealand protect the input and/or output ports.

In some implementations, the input and/or output ports may be verticallypositioned on the circuit board, for example, as shown in FIG. 9A-9B, inorder to minimize the width of the cap, where a USB plug would be moveddown vertically to engage the port. In order to reduce the height of thecap, a secondary circuit board or support may be used to lower theports. The input and/or output ports could also be mounted horizontallyon the circuit boards and be accessed on the lateral side of thecollapsible lantern even where the circuit board is horizontal inorientation.

The solar-powered lamps may include a solar panel, an LED circuit, and arechargeable battery. The rechargeable battery may be recharged by thesolar panel and have one or more additional power inputs, such as a handcrank, a 5V USB input, or other power input port that allows therechargeable battery to be recharged by another power source in additionto the solar panel. In some cases, the USB plugs or ports may be distantfrom the main circuits and circuit board, and connected by waterproofcords. In such lamps, the input and output ports are attached to cordsthat extend from the circuit board. By distancing the ports from thecircuit board, different waterproofing methods can be pursued. As shownin FIGS. 1A-1E, a zip-lock pouch can keep the cords protected, thoughother protections may be employed. Some ports have waterproof coatingsso by extending them from the circuit board and sealing around the areawhere they are attached to the circuit board, the ports could bewaterproof and free to connect directly to a power supply, to eachother, or to a phone without needing additional housing or protection.The cords may include, for example MicroUSB and other USB ports. Theports may be attached to the ends of the cords, and when not in use, theports may be stored in a waterproof pocket on one side of a lamp.Material can also be rolled or folded to create waterproof seals, orcertain types of Velcro or adhesives may also be used to form an accesspoint to access the ports.

There are many different designs for caps around the ports to waterproofthem and form tight gaskets. The caps can be designed to open like adoor, slide, or twist. The top to the cap can come off andscrew/unscrew, or it can snap into place and unsnap. In most instances,it includes a top and bottom half that fit together to form a watertightseal. The walls can vary in thickness and form to create tight lips toseal together and not pop open accidentally.

The ports could also be magnetic charging ports which offer theadvantage of potentially reducing the need for a cap. In such cases, atight sticker or seal around the exposed magnetic ports can offer thenecessary waterproofing. Additionally, advancements in waterproofcoatings and port designs (such as barrel ports which offer morewaterproofing) can reduce the need for caps and enclosures and can beexposed and not risk the water damage to the circuit. In the collapsibleoctahedral pyramid shown in FIGS. 4A-4C, there may be magnetic ports onthe top. A sticker may go over the circuit board and surround themagnetic ports. This may adequately waterproof the ports. As notedabove, the magnets can provide power input, or in another design, themagnets can allow the products to stack or connect together to prolongbattery life or share power. The magnets can provide an electricalconnection. This electrical connection between products could also beachieved by metal snaps, tabs, conductive thread or other forms ofconnections that would allow them to link. Caps and other designsprovide the user with additional levels of security and allow thelanterns to be completely submersed in water for use as a pool light orunderwater light.

FIG. 9A shows a top view, and FIG. 9B an exploded view, of an exampleexpandable and collapsible solar-powered lamp (e.g., via inflation anddeflation of a sealed inner volume). The lamp 900 (which may also bereferred to as a lantern or more generally as a device) includes a flatrigid top and a flat rid bottom, separate by a sidewall having multiplepanels, so as to form a cube similar to the cube in FIGS. 1A-1E. Whereasthe housing in FIGS. 1A-1E was expanded mechanically by popping it open(perhaps with help from an internal biased stretched cord), the housingin FIGS. 9A and 9B is inflated and deflated to expand and contract it,which may allow it to more readily float in water when it is inflated.

Referring now to FIG. 9A, the top surface of the lamp 900 is shown, andincludes a central solar panel 904 and a peripheral area 902 surroundingthe solar panel 904 on all four sides. Below the peripheral area may bea portion 922 (FIG. 9B) of an electronics assembly that is electricallyconnected to the solar panel 904, is peripherally shaped like theperipheral area 902, and may include one or more PCBs with appliedconductive traces, and associated mounted electronics on the PCB.

As shown in FIG. 9A, mounted to the top of the PCB are a microUSB orother form of USB port 912, which is surround by an attached flexiblering, which is in turn tied by a hinge or lanyard to a flexible cover914 having a surface that matches the shape of a corresponding surfaceof the ring. In this manner, the cover 914 can sealingly engage with thering to protect the port 912 from moisture when the cover is closed. Acharging light 916 includes an LED under a protective cover that extendsover the top face of the lamp 900 and is lit when the solar panel 904 isreceiving enough light that it is generating power to chargerechargeable batteries in the lamp 900 and/or to light LEDs that areaimed into an interior volume of the lamp 900. A series of lights 918,which may also be LEDs sealed under the top surface of the lamp 900 andconnected to the underlying PCB may light in response to a user pushingbutton 920, with more of the lights activating in order to indicate ahigher charge on the batteries in the lamp 900—e.g., four of the fouravailable lights for a full charge, and only one for a very low charge,or the first light blinking for a very low charge. And a power switch922 causes the lamp to turn on or off, powering one or more LEDs on theback side of the lamp's top panel so that they direct light into aninterior open volume of the lamp 900. Subsequent presses of the switch(which is also sealed under a top plastic sheet) may change the mode oflighting by the lamp 900, such as by successively dimming the lamp withsuccessive presses (e.g., lowering the intensity of each LED or loweringthe number of lit LEDs).

Attached to the top of lamp 900 are a pair of straps 906, 910, which maybe stitched, glued, heat-sealed or otherwise attached to a top surfaceor to a side surface near the top of the lamp. The straps 906, 910 maybe attached to each other by a pair of corresponding snaps 908 locatedon each strap (though the snap on strap 910 cannot be seen in the figurebecause it is on the bottom of the strap 910, but can be seen in FIG.9B). One or both straps may be provided with multiple snaps 908 atdifferent positions along the length of the relevant strap so that theloop made when the straps 960, 910 are connected to each other can varyin length. The lamp 900 can be hung from the loop formed by the strapswhen they are bent upward toward the viewer of FIG. 9A and connected toeach other, or the straps 906, 910 may hole the lamp 900 in a compressedform when they are bent downward away from the viewer and connected toeach other under the lamp 900.

Referring now more specifically to the exploded view of lamp 900 in FIG.9B, various example layers for the lamp 900 can be seen, and canindicate a technique for manufacturing the lamp 900. In such atechnique, pairs of layers may be adhered to each other perhaps afterother components have been placed between those layers, so that theintervening components can be held in place and held watertight from theambient conditions around the lamp 900. Layers that can be adhere toeach other include clear plastic layers 930 and 934, which may hold acleat PET layer 932 between them, so as to form a relatively rigidbottom plate for the lamp 900. That sandwich of layers may in term beconnected to a peripheral sleeve 928 of semi-transparent, flexibleplastic that makes up four walls of the cube of lamp 900 when the lamp900 is expanded. In the expanded state, the walls of the sleeve 928 aremade of a single piece of extruded material in this example, but mayalso be made of a flat sheet that has its open edges sealed to eachother to form a closed sleeve, or may be formed from multiple flatpieces, such as four separate pieces, with one for each side panel ofthe lamp 900.

The sleeve 928 may be sealed in a similar manner to upper sheet 926which may be a clear plastic sheet, or sufficiently clear so that lightfrom LEDs above that is aimed into the volume device by the sleeve 928can travel readily. By sealing sleeve 928 at its periphery at top andbottom (e.g., by adhesive or heat sealing, or welding or sonic welding),the volume inside sleeve 928 may be made water-tight and airtight, sothat the lamp 900 may be inflating, hold the inflation, and float. Antop sheet 902 may be sealed at its periphery to upper sheet 926, andthey may form a water-tight pouch to enclose a PCB 920 and solar panel904 which can receive sunlight through a clear window in the Also in thepouch is a reflector plate 922 having formed in it apertures 924 throughwhich LEDs mounted to the PCB 920 can be seen from below, and thusthrough which the LEDs can direct light in the inner volume of the lamp900 when it is expanded, or inflated.

In FIGS. 9A-9B, the data/power ports are connected directly to thecircuit board. The solar panel, circuit board, and battery are stackedto minimize overall height. This circuit assembly sits within a tray922, shown on FIG. 9B. The tray 922 has an area for the battery to sit,and holes or openings 924 for the LEDs. The LEDs are arranged in acircle around the battery to maximize even light dispersion within thecube. This circuit assembly is sealed between two sheets of plastic.Different appropriate types of plastic can be used, such as PVC, TPU,EVA, silicone, or others. The ports connect to the PCB and protrude fromthe flat stack of the solar panel, battery, tray, and PCB. The ports canbe a combination of micro USB, mini USB, USB C, other USB, magnetic,lightning, two-way USB, or other combinations.

The ports in FIGS. 9A-B are perpendicular to the circuit assembly. Inthe manufacturing process, the outer layer of plastic has holes cut intoit where the ports can protrude through. The port cap is sealed to theouter layer of plastic as a first step. This outer layer and the sealedport cap are then arranged over the circuit carefully so the ports lineup inside the cap and the holes, see FIG. 9B. A bottom layer is thenarranged on the opposing side of the circuit assembly. In somevariations, more layers can be used. The bottom layer and top layersandwich the circuit. This entire assembly is then put into the tool.The tool may have a hole on top to allow for the port cap to protrude inorder to achieve a tight, flat seal. The tool seals together the layersof plastic around the outer edges of the circuit assembly.

The outer layers are also sealed to the sides of the cube and the baseof the cube, forming a semi-closed volume. The port cap is a simple andeffective way to waterproof ports or switches that need to be accessed.The ports can be 5V, 1 amp, 2 amp, or greater to control charging todifferent electronic devices. Higher or lower voltage outputs are alsopossible depending on the battery and solar panel size. In the abovedetailed description, the outer layer over the circuit consisted of twoseparate elements: a port cap and a plastic sheet. These two elementscan be made as one element simply by molding the two together as onesingle mold, or by using another type of seal or Zip-lock to access theports. Magnetic ports, and waterproof ports, would not necessarilyrequire the same type of port cap,

Holes can be cut into the material and the material can be directlysealed to the solar panel or PCB coating, or adhesive or an additionalgasket could be used to create a watertight seal around the magneticports. Waterproof ports can also be used, eliminating the need for aport cap. In the case of waterproof ports, adhesive or careful seamingmay need to be implemented to protect the circuit. In FIG. 9A, the portcap is hollow and the port is exposed when the cap is open. The top ofthe cap fits into the base and waterproofs the port. The ports can beconnected directly to the main PCB, or be located on a smaller PCB thatis in turn connected to the main PCB. Wires or cables could also be usedto distance the port from the PCB.

Solar panels can be coated in a multitude of materials, for exampleepoxy, ETFE, or PET. These coatings can be directly fused to the portcap, eliminating the need for a top layer. In such an implementation,touch sensor switches could be used under near the coating to waterproofthe switches. Other types of coatings, or adhesive stickers, can also beused to protect the components. To reduce thickness, the solar cells canbe directly mounted to an extremely thin PCB. In turn, a thin li-ionbattery or other type of battery or large capacitor can be locateddirectly underneath the PCB, or can be located on another face. The edgeof the coating over the solar panel could extend beyond the edge of thesolar panel in order to create an edge that can then be sealed to thevolume directly, to eliminate a need for multiple layers sandwiching thecircuit.

Other particular implementations with the ports may also be used. Forexample, in one example, both a USB in port (or Lightning port) and aUSB out port may be provided under a single cap on one lamp, so as toprovide convenient mechanisms to both get charge into the lamp and outof the lamp. In such an implementation, the cover may need to be madewider than if there were only a single port under it, though amanufacturer may want to use an over-sized cover for a lamp that has asingle port so that it need only make one cover part for its single-portlamps and its multi-port lamps. In some cases, a pair of input or outputports may be provided, or a pair of one type and a single port of theother type—e.g., so that the lamp can be charged by one source, but canprovide charge to multiple external devices via USB cables plugged intothe multiple output ports. In one implementation of the arrangement ofports shown in FIG. 9A, instead of a plastic removable cap, a Zip-lockor similar seal may be provided over the port or ports. In such animplementation, the seam may open toward the side of the lamp and theports may be laid almost flat to the PCB and parallel with it so thatUSB plugs can be inserted and plugged in from the side rather than fromthe top as shown in FIG. 9A.

With each of the forms of lights here, a bank of solar panels may beprovided externally from the lamp, and the lamp can have no solar panelsitself or a small number of solar panels (e.g., one or two). The solarpanels external to the lamp can be wired directly to the lamp to give itpower, and/or cam be connected to a battery, charge that battery overtime even if they are not yet connected to the lamp, and then providepower to the lamp via the batter when the lamp is connected to thebattery and the external solar cells. In a similar manner, two or moresolar-powered lamps of any appropriate physical format may be connectedelectrically together so that they can share stored power with eachother.

FIGS. 10A-10C show an inflatable solar-powered lamp 1000 in the form ofan inflatable bag. As with the other lamps discussed above, lamp 1000may generally include an electronics assembly in a water-tight pouchthat receives sunlight from outside the lamp 1000 and directs light fromLED lights into an inner expandable and contractable volume inside thelamp. In addition, the electronics assembly can be provided with one ormore USB, Lightning, or other data/power ports.

Referring more specifically to FIGS. 10A-10C, the lamp 1000 includes ahandle 1004 at its top edge and an inflatable bag 1020 below that,wherein the bag 1020 defines an empty inner volume when it is inflatableand has almost no volume when it is deflated and the opposed expandingside walls of the bag move toward each other and touch in a number oflocations. The overall bag may be made from two matched rectangularsheets of plastic and are joined at their side edges to a pair of sidepanels 1020, which may be scored in the middle so that they fold inwardand into the inner volume of the lamp 1000 as the lamp 1000 contracts. Abottom panel 1022 may make up the fifth wall that defines the innervolume and may also be scored so as to collapse into a space that allowsthe lamp 1000 to be as flat as practical when it is collapsed. An airvalve 1002 may be provided on one side of the lamp 1000 to allow air inor out of the inner volume.

The handle can be broken into two separate parts as most clearly shownin FIG. 10C, and the two parts can be snapped together or unsnapped.Such action may permit a user to wrap the handle around a pipe,closed-loop strap, or other structure for hanging the lamp 1000, such asnear the ceiling of a room to be lit.

As with other lamps discussed above an electronics assembly 1006 isshown and is topped by a solar panel 1008 which faces the outside of thelamp through a clear protective covering that holds the electronicsassembly watertight from the exterior of the lamp 1000. Below the solarpanel 1008 may be a PCB, which provides functionality via amicro-controller and other circuitry that is access from the face of theelectronics assembly. For example, a power switch 1010 (1014 in FIG.10C) can be pressed by a user to turn the LEDs on or off, and bysuccessive pressing, can cause the LEDs to become progressively dimmerfor several cycles, until they turn off (on a fourth press, for example,and then turn on with the next press). A series of indicator lights 1012can provide an indication of the state of charge of rechargeablebatteries in the lamp 1000 that are charged by the solar panel 1008. Theindication may occur in response to a user pressing a test switch 1014,where the lighting of more lights indicates a higher charge state.

In this manner then, a number of forms of solar-powered lamps thatinclude charging ability to and/or from external devices via commoncharging ports such as USB ports, have been discussed (e.g., cubes,pillows/bags that are largely triangular as viewed from the side,truncated cones, and stars). Each may be provided with appropriatecircuitry (e.g., FIG. 11 ) to permit the use of solar energy to chargebatteries and/or power LED lights. The lights may light up an internalvolume that is made when the particular lamp is moved into an expandedform (whether mechanically or via inflation). And a number of componentsmay be provided to aid user interaction with the lamp and userunderstanding of the current state of the lamp. The lamp may be madeparticularly useful where it is used to charge another device that doesnot have solar charging, such as a smartphone, or when it is chargedfrom an external source, such as by plugging it into 120V AC powerthrough a USB adapter.

FIG. 11 shows an example electrical schematic for a solar-powered lampcircuit 1100. In general, this schematic diagram shows electroniccomponents and connections for passing and regulating the electricalpower that may be generated by a plurality of solar cells, and used byone or more LEDs and any devices that may be connected to a USB chargingport (whether as output power from the device on which this circuit isemployed or input to such device).

Referring now more particularly to specific components pictured in thefigure, a plurality of solar panels 1136 (grounded at ground 1138) isshown at the right edge and are connected in series to provideelectrical current for the rest of the pictured circuit. They are inturn connected to an LED 1132 (with diode) and associated resistor 1134that indicates when the panels are providing charge to the circuit. Abattery 1112 provides power when the panels do not, and a diode D1 1118ensures that the power flows in the proper direction from the panelsand/or the battery to the rest of the circuit. A light sensor LS 1120may be optionally provided (with associated resister 1122) so that thecircuit is closed (and power provided to the lamps) only when the lightsensor senses a lack of light (e.g., at nighttime or indoors). Anadditional set of resistors 1124, 1126, 1128, 1130 may also be provideda connected to solar-related inputs, while a trace controlled by thelight sensor 1120 may provide power to one or more LED lights (and mayalso pass through a manual switch for allowing power to flow (notshown).

Charging of the battery may be controlled via ports BAT and PRG of aspecial-purpose integrated circuit 1104 such as a TP4056 standalonelinear Li-Ion Battery Charger with Thermal Regulation. Such anintegrated circuit may act as a constant-current/constant-voltage linearcharger for single cell lithium-ion batteries, though multiple-cellbatteries may also be employed. Thermal feedback regulates the chargecurrent to limit the die temperature during high power operation or highambient temperature. The charge voltage in this example is fixed at4.2V, and the charge current can be programmed externally with a singleresistor as shown here. The chip may terminate the charge cycle when thecharge current drops to 1/10th the programmed value after a final floatvoltage is reached. The chip 1104 may also include a current monitor, anunder voltage lockout, an automatic recharge and two status pins toindicate charge termination and the presence of an input voltage.

In this example also, an external USB port 1106 is provided, and incertain implementations may be a port for charging the battery, a portfor using the battery to charge external devices, or both. Also,multiple ports having similar function may be provided, and in certainimplementations, may provide for the transfer of data and power (e.g.,if the lamp has Flash storage integrated into it) or just power and notdata. The USB port 1106 may take appropriate standardized forms and maybe of USB format or other wired power transfer protocol for chargingportable electronic devices (e.g., Lightning port). The USB port 1106(with related ground) may be controlled by a USB controller 1102, whichmay take the form of a USB Micro or other similar controller for adata/power connection system.

Variations on the particular circuit shown here may be provided, whereinvariable numbers of solar cells, LEDs, and batteries may be used. Also,various indicator lights may be provided to show when the lamp ischarging or discharging, and the charge or discharge status through eachof one or more USB or similar power connectors provided with the lamp.

In this manner, then, the circuit shown here and similar circuits mayprovide a cost-effective and compact implementation that may be producedon a PCB and connected directly or indirectly to the solar cells,battery or batteries, and LEDs, in addition to input or output ports forpower (and potentially data over the same ports, e.g., when the lampincludes flash memory or similar features). Such an arrangement may takeminimal space and may particularly be very flat so that it may beimplemented beside or behind the solar panels (and behind LEDs on theopposed side) and be very flat (e.g., less than ⅛ or ¼ inch) and thus bereadily capable of being placed in a watertight pocket that may beformed to protect the electronics from moisture and other conditionsinside the housing of the lamp (e.g., where condensation may naturallyoccur and/or moisture may become trapped where the lamp is orallyinflated) and moisture and other conditions outside the lamp, whilestill allowing the electronics to capture sunlight and efficientlydistributed generated light.

FIG. 12 is a flow chart showing steps for using a lighting and chargingdevice. In general, the steps shown here involve the transitioning of alantern from a compressed ad folded state for charging into an expandedstate for lighting, and back. For example, the process may occur in theevening as it begins to get dark and light is needed, and then maycontinue in the morning when light is no longer needed.

The process begins at box 1202, where a user takes hold of a lightingdevice that has been folded onto itself (e.g., FIG. 2A) for chargingduring the day. The device may be held shut by a strap that wraps aroundthe device and catches on itself via hook-and-loop fasteners (e.g., madeby Velcro USA Inc. of Manchester, N.H.), after looping back through aneyelet. With the hook-and-loop detached, the strap may be slid out ofposition from around the lighting device (box 1204).

At box 1206, the light enclosure is opened by expanding it to create anopen volume inside the enclosure. Such action may involve simply lettinggo of the device if it is internally biased into an open position by aresilient cord tied between opposed edges in the enclosure, where thoseedges are farthest from each other when the enclosure is a collapsedstate and closest to each other when the enclosure is in an expandedstate (so that the cord pulls the enclosure into the expanded state byits natural shortening action). Such opening may also first includeunfolding the enclosure into its flattest form.

At box 1208, a strap, which may be the same hook-and-loop fastener strapthat held the device in a compressed and folded state, is secured at anedge of the enclosure. For example the strap may be tied to an eyeletthat is part of the enclosure and may have been previously attached tothe eyelet and kept there even when the device was collapsed and folded,and may be used to hang the device from a ceiling or other elevatedlocation so that LEDs inside the enclosure shine down toward a floor ofa room and into the room, and so that bottom panels on the device aretransparent so as to allow light generated inside the enclosure toreadily shine downward and into a room, and to be dispersed into theroom.

In certain implementations, the tab to which the strap is mostpermanently attached may be at a location that does not best allow thelight to be hung and positioned to maximize the amount of light thatshines downward. In such a situation, a second tab may be provided at anedge of the device that is most naturally the top edge when the light isto be hung from an elevated location, and a user may slide the strapthrough an opening in such a tab so that the strap's last connectionpoint is the point that should be the highest point when the device ishung from the strap (see FIGS. 2E and 2F).

At box 1210, the lamp is operated. For example, a control panel in theform of one or more preferably watertight buttons may be provided at theperiphery of the device, and a user can press the buttons to turn on thelight and to brighten or dim the light. Other buttons may also beprovided whose operation may cause electricity to be provided to or cutoff from an accessory plug on the device. In some implementations, abutton may be pressed multiple times, where each press causes the lightsof the device to be energized at different brightness levels, such asthree brightness levels and an “off” level. Such different brightnesslevels may be achieved by lighting LEDs to different individual levelsof brightness, or by energizing a larger or smaller subset of all theplurality of LEDs in a device.

At box 1212, when the user is done needing light from the lamp, they cantake it down from wherever they have hung it, and may unsecure the strapfrom the edge of the disclosure—at least where the strap was passedthrough a second attachment point on the device, as in FIG. 2E. The usermay then begin the process of collapsing the device to make it smallerfor transport (box 1214). The user may do so by pushing two of the edges(e.g., hinge 106 in FIGS. 1A-B) toward each other and/or by pushing thescored side panels inward into the center of the enclosure. A resilientcord may resist such compression of the enclosure, and the user mayprovide enough force to overcome that resistance until they have fullyflattened the enclosure (e.g., so there is essentially zero volumeremaining inside the enclosure).

At this point, the device is flattened but not yet folded, and thus isrelatively long (e.g., twice as long as it is wide). As such, the deviceis longer enough to accept a music player or smartphone on its sideopposite the solar panels (box 1216). A user may squeeze the sides ofthe device lightly to open a sealable opening to a pouch on such side ofthe device, may place a finger into the opening to further cause it toopen up, and may slide their electronic device such as a smartphoneinside. The user may likewise reach into the pouch to grasp an electricplug inside the pouch and insert it into the smartphone receptacle forsuch a plug (box 1216). In some embodiments, the plug may be on the endof a short wire that the user can manipulate, or may be relatively fixedrelative to the housing of the device so that the user can simply slidetheir smartphone or other device over the plug, without having tophysically reach into the pouch and handle the plug. The user may thenclose and seal the pouch from water infiltration in a familiar manner,such as by pressing a finger along the length of the seal to pushresilient interlocking channels into engagement with each other.

In certain embodiments, the smartphone or other device may be operablewhen it is inside the pouch. For example, the lantern device may make aphysical data connection with the smartphone through the relevant plug,or may make a wireless connection such as via BLUETOOTH technology. Thedata connection may take the form of the lantern device passing dataabout its performance to an application executing on the smartphone. Forexample, the lantern device may indicate to the application its currentlevel of charge, information for a schedule that shows when it wascharging and discharging, and other such operational information for thelantern device. In another example, the lantern may pass informationabout the current energy level generated by the solar panels, so thatsuch information can be displayed on the smartphone in real-time, and sothat a user can in real-time change the orientation of the lanterndevice relative to the sun so as to maximize its charging level.

The smartphone and its executing application may also pass data to thelantern, such as information that controls the lighting of the lanternor other components of the lantern device. For example, a user mayexecute a sleep timer on the smartphone, which may cause the lantern tobe lit for a defined period of time and then shut off by the smartphoneapplication sending a signal to a controller for the lantern device. Inother examples, the smartphone can send signals to cause colors oflighting generated by the lantern to change in defined manners, such asin response to music being played from the smartphone or weather datathat it gathers from sensors or a phone.

The lantern device may also be provided with one or more loudspeakers,and the smartphone may provide music through the loudspeakers, where theloudspeakers and associated amplifier are powered by batteries in thelantern device that are charged by the solar panels. In such asituation, the smartphone and/or the lantern may provide a warning whenthe batteries have been drained far enough that only a predefined timeperiod of lighting remains—e.g., two hours needed for post-sunsetpreparation of a meal and preparation for sleep. Also, the loudspeakersmay be integrated into one or more of the peripheral panels of thelantern device, such as by being placed adjacent to the solar panels. Inother embodiments, the loudspeakers may be made of substantiallytransparent materials and incorporated into the panels that are oppositethe solar panels (where the enclosure is a six-sided box). Theloudspeaker can be made waterproof by integrating it into a semi-rigidinsert that is molded to fit the speaker. This molded insert can then besealed directly to one of the surfaces of the device, or multiple layerscould hold it in place. In some variations, the solar panel circuitassembly may be on one side of the lamp, and the loudspeaker on anopposing side. A wire could extend from the speaker to the main circuitand still allow the lamp to expand and collapse, the wire simply wouldneed to be long enough to allow for this.

At box 1218, the smartphone has been charged or otherwise fully used inconjunction with the lantern device, and can be removed from the pouch.The user may then fold the lantern device, such as by folding along ahinge that lies between the two solar panels in the embodiments picturedabove. To fully flatten the device against resilience of the variouslayers of plastic panels now pressed against each other, and the varioushinges that are stretched by the compression and folding, the user maythen tighten the strap around the folded lantern and attach it back toitself via the hook-and-loop fasteners to hold it tight (box 1220). Atthis point, the pair of solar panels are pointed outward and at leastone can be aimed toward the sun (even if the device flips over), such asby being clipped to the outside of the user's backpack or otherwise laidon or attached to an outer and/or upper surface of some structure.

In this manner, then, a multi-function solar-charging lantern may bedeployed and employed by a user. The lantern may be very flat and smallfor transportation, may be expanded slightly to charge a portableelectronic device in a sealed pouch, and may be expanded even more toprovide a lantern that uses its volume to better disperse light createdby one or more LEDs internal to that volume.

In some situations, solar may not be a viable option for recharging. Forexample, in an area without access to a lot of sun or during wintermonths when the sun is at a greater distance from the earth and cannotprovide as much power, solar power is not as easily collected.Additionally, in some situations, it is desirable for recharging tohappen quickly, for example, in the case where a hurricane or storm isapproaching and there is a need to quickly recharge devices and back-upbatteries. In these circumstances, it is important for back-up batteriesand lanterns to have multiple power inputs. It is also convenient to beable to connect or share power between products or multiple sources. Forexample, one back-up battery can be used to charge another by linkingthem together through their inputs and outputs.

The designs for collapsible solar lamps have multiple inputs and outputsto be able to connect them together, shown and described herein, offermultiple ways to recharge and provide power to other devices. One of thebenefits of having input and output ports on the solar lantern is forthe user to be able to charge the rechargeable battery using anotherpower source other than the solar panel. For example, if it is cloudy, auser can plug the device into the computer or wall outlet to rechargethe battery. Additionally, a user can use the rechargeable battery inthe device as a backup battery source when his or her phone is out ofpower and he or she needs to recharge it. Another benefit of havingports is that multiple products can be linked together and share power,as shown, for example, in FIG. 11 ; or, an additional solar panel can beattached to recharge it faster, as shown, for example, in FIG. 11 . Thisallows more flexibility for the user to create unique systemspecifications. If a user wants a product with a larger solar panel, heor she can plug in an additional solar panel to the power input torecharge the product more quickly. If a user has two units and one isout of batteries but one has full battery, he or she can connect theunit that is out of battery to the unit that has a full battery to sharepower.

In some variations of designs, the collapsible lamps may have both anintegrated solar panel and rechargeable battery. For example, the lampcould have an integrated battery but connect to an external solar panelduring the daytime to recharge it. The user in this case could connectthe collapsible lantern to the solar panel during the day to recharge itwith the power input port, and then disconnect it in the evening tobring the lantern indoors and use it to provide light. Having input andoutput ports allows this flexibility of creating a “system” that can bepersonalized depending on how and where the user wants to use it andwhat is convenient for him or her in order to recharge and power his orher back-up batteries and lanterns. People often use bulky outdoor lightbulbs connected together on a long string for outdoor lighting. Thelight bulbs are fragile because they are often made of glass and theycannot be easily transported. However, they offer many benefits becausethey are bright and aesthetically pleasing. In some variations of thistechnology, collapsible light bulbs can be designed, PCB and LEDs couldbe integrated into one side of the light bulb. Silicone or anothermaterial can surround the electronic assembly to waterproof it. Thesilicone or plastic covering can be arranged to collapse towards andaway from the LEDs depending on the amount of light needed. It can alsoact as a lens that focuses or spreads out the amount of light needed.This independent light can have its own solar panel, or have an electriccord that connects to other light bulbs and a flat-pack battery andsolar panel.

The following paragraphs discuss other particular implementations andaspects of the inventions discussed herein. For example, in oneimplementation, a solar-powered lighting system is disclosed, andincludes a first device defining a peripheral shape and including asolar panel and rechargeable battery; a second device defining aperipheral shape that matches the peripheral shape of the first deviceand that includes one or more LED lights; one or more physicalconnectors to fixedly attached the first device to the second device;and one or more electrical connectors to form a circuit so that powerfrom the battery on the first device can be used to power the LED lightson the second device. The first device can include one or more LEDlights that can be powered from the battery, and the second deviceincludes a separate battery and a solar cell that can power the one ormore LED lights on the second device. In addition, the one or morephysical connectors are integrated with the one or more electricalconnectors.

In some aspects, the one or more physical connectors are magneticlocking connectors. Also, the first device and the second device can bedaisy-chained with a third device in a row of physically-connecteddevices that can share with each other electricity generated by solarpanels on at least one of the three devices. Moreover, the first deviceand the second device can be arranged to connect to each other at a basepoint on each device, and wherein each device has a housing holding itsrespective LED lights that radiates outward from the base point.Additionally, a third device can be arranged to connect to the basepoint and have a housing that holds LED lights, and can radiate outwardfrom the base point.

In yet other aspects, first device, the second device, or both arearranged to roll up into a closed tube. The closed tube can be providedwith a plurality of LED lights near a first end of the tube to emitlight in the form of a flashlight. Also, the closed tube can be formedfrom four or more flat sides that define a closed polygon for the tube.In addition, the first device, the second device, or both, can bearranged to compact into a flattened state. In some aspect, a firstdevice may make up a first spired of a star radiating from a base pointand may include a solar panel, and additional devices that connect tothe first device at a center point for the star may have LEDs that arepowered from electrical power generated by the solar panel. The firstdevice, one or more of the other device, or both, may include one ormore rechargeable batteries to receive power from the solar panel on thefirst spire and provide it later for the operation of lights on theother spires. In some examples, a set of solar cells may be connected toa plurality of devices that take a common form, such as a plurality ofspires for a star. Each of the spires or other matched devices caninclude batteries, LED lights, or both, and the star or other system canbe charged from the solar panels and then provide light at a later time,such as after the devices are unplugged from the solar panels. Thus, insome examples, the solar panels discussed here can be a part of thelighting device, and in other instances, at least some of the solarpanels used to power the joined devices can be separate from thosephysically joined devices. Also, where there are multiple devices of acommon form factor, some may be able to collapse more completely thanothers, e.g., because some contain batteries or other somewhat bulkycomponents, and others do not.

In yet another implementation, a solar-powered lighting device isdisclosed that comprises a flexible sheet substrate having a pair oftwo-dimensional surfaces; a plurality of electrical traces provided onat least one of the surfaces and arranged to connect electrical devicesthat are on at least one of the surfaces; a plurality of flexible solarcells arranged across one of the surfaces and electrically connectableto a battery; and a plurality of LED lights physically connected to atleast one of the surfaces and electrically connectable to the battery.The LED lights and the flexible solar cells can both be on the samesurface of the flexible sheet. Also, the LED lights and the flexiblesolar cells can be on opposed surfaces of the flexible sheet from eachother. Moreover, a first of the surfaces can be broken into a grid oftwo-dimensional locations across the first of the surfaces, and aflexible solar cell or an LED light can be located at each intersectionin the grid. Additionally, the LED lights can be interspersed across thesurface with the flexible solar cells.

In yet another implementation, a solar-powered lamp is disclosed thatcomprises a plurality of concentric rings of progressively smallerdiameter that are attached to each other in a pyramidal shape. A topedge of each ring is joined to a bottom edge of each successivelysmaller ring, so as to form a cone or pyramidal-shaped structure. Thestructure may be truncated before it hits a point so as to form a flatupper plate, and a solar cell may be disposed at that upper plate. Arechargeable battery and LED lights may also be positioned at the flatupper plate, and the LEDs may be directed downward to aim their lightinto an inner volume that is formed by each of the rings. The lamp mayhave its top level pressed downward to collapse the lamp into a flatterform, by each of the rings falling into the inside of its nextsuccessive ring in the lamp. The point where two rings meet may bescored or otherwise formed so that the rings fold in alternativedirections so as to accordion into a flatter structure. The flat topplate may be at the smallest diameter portion of the device or thelargest diameter portion. A USB port or other form of data/power portmay also be provided with the lamp, so that the lamp can provideelectricity to an external load or an external source may provideelectrical power to the lamp (e.g., plugging the lamp into a USB cablethat delivers electricity in one or either direction).

While this specification contains many specific implementation details,these should not be construed as limitations on the scope of anyinventions or of what may be claimed, but rather as descriptions offeatures specific to particular implementations of particularinventions. Certain features that are described in this specification inthe context of separate implementations can also be implemented incombination in a single implementation. Conversely, various featuresthat are described in the context of a single implementation can also beimplemented in multiple implementations separately or in any suitablesubcombination. Moreover, although features may be described above asacting in certain combinations and even initially claimed as such, oneor more features from a claimed combination can in appropriate cases beexcised from the combination, and the claimed combination may bedirected to a subcombination or variation of a subcombination.

Similarly, while operations are depicted in the drawings in a particularorder, this should not be understood as requiring that such operationsbe performed in the particular order shown or in sequential order, orthat all illustrated operations be performed, to achieve desirableresults. Moreover, the separation of various system components in theimplementations described above should not be understood as requiringsuch separation in all implementations, and it should be understood thatthe described components and systems can generally be integratedtogether in a single product or packaged into multiple products. Also,multiple particular electrical systems have been described (e.g., forpowering lights, for charging devices external from a lamp, for charginga lamp from an external source, etc.) and multiple form factors forlamps (e.g., mechanical opening and closing cube, star, sheet, rolledtriangles to make a tube, etc.) have also been described. It should beunderstood that generally the electrical solutions described here can beused equally with each of the different physical lamp formats (e.g., aUSB port can stick out from or lie parallel with the surface on which itis mounted in a cube or other three-dimensional extrusion form, or for aflat sheet form).

Thus, particular implementations of the subject matter have beendescribed. Other implementations are within the scope of the followingclaims. In some cases, the actions recited in the claims can beperformed in a different order and still achieve desirable results.

What is claimed is:
 1. A solar-powered lamp, comprising: a bottomportion; a top portion; a side wall connected at a first end of thesolar-powered lamp to the bottom portion and at a second end of thesolar-powered lamp to the top portion, wherein the solar-powered lamp isexpandable and contractable by collapsing and expanding the side wall;an enclosure formed in the top portion, the enclosure containing: asolar panel, a rechargeable battery, a printed circuit board, and one ormore LEDs coupled to the printed circuit board; a flange formed in asurface of the enclosure, the flange defining an aperture between aninterior of the enclosure and an exterior of the solar-powered lamp; oneor more ports positioned in the aperture, the one or more portselectrically connected to the printed circuit board; and a cap sized toform a seal with the flange to cover the aperture, and configured to beremoved from the flange by a user to access the one or more portspositioned in the aperture.
 2. The solar-powered lamp of claim 1,wherein the cap comprises a peripheral edge sized to form the seal as acircumferential seal with one or more corresponding matching edgesurfaces of the flange to protect the one or more ports.
 3. Thesolar-powered lamp of claim 2, wherein the cap is connected to thesolar-powered lamp by a connector.
 4. The solar-powered lamp of claim 3,wherein the connector is a narrow tab extending from a surface of theenclosure or an external surface of the flange to the peripheral edge ofthe cap.
 5. The solar-powered lamp of claim 3, wherein the connector isa hinge.
 6. The solar-powered lamp of claim 5, wherein the hinge allowsthe cap to be opened and closed to expose the one or more ports in theaperture.
 7. The solar-powered lamp of claim 3, wherein the connector isa first threading on an interior or exterior surface of the flange and asecond threading on an interior or exterior surface of the cap, whereinthe second threading is complementary to the first threading.
 8. Thesolar-powered lamp of claim 1, further comprising: an electric connectorarranged to receive electric power from the rechargeable battery and toconnect to the one or more ports.
 9. The solar-powered lamp of claim 8,wherein the electric connector is configured to provide electric powerto an external device through the one or more ports.
 10. Thesolar-powered lamp of claim 1, wherein the one or more ports comprisesat least one USB port, the at least one USB port configured foroperation in a power input and a power output mode.
 11. Thesolar-powered lamp of claim 10, wherein the at least one USB port isconfigured for operation in a data input mode.
 12. The solar-poweredlamp of claim 1, wherein at least one port of the one or more ports isarranged to be perpendicular to the printed circuit board.
 13. Thesolar-powered lamp of claim 1, wherein at least one port of the one ormore ports is arranged to be parallel with the printed circuit board andimmediately adjacent to a side of the printed circuit board.
 14. Thesolar-powered lamp of claim 1, the enclosure further containing: anantenna configured to receive and transmit wireless communications froman external device; and a controller configured to: receive signals fromthe antenna, the signals derived from the wireless communications fromthe external device received at the antenna; control one or more of therechargeable battery and the one or more LEDs based on the receivedsignals from the antenna; and communicate data related to operation ofthe solar-powered lamp to the external device via the antenna.
 15. Thesolar-powered lamp of claim 14, wherein the wireless communications fromthe external device received at the antenna comprise an instruction tochange a color of the one or more LEDs, change a color temperature ofthe one or more LEDs, turn the solar-powered lamp on, turn thesolar-powered lamp off, or set a programmed behavior of the one or moreLEDs.
 16. The solar-powered lamp of claim 15, wherein the wirelesscommunications are received at the antenna over a Wi-Fi connection orBluetooth connection.
 17. The solar-powered lamp of claim 1, furthercomprising one or more sensors positioned within the solar-powered lamp,the one or more sensors configured to: sense an external condition; andtransmit information related to the sensed external condition to theprinted circuit board; and wherein the printed circuit board isconfigured to change a setting of the one or more LEDs in response toreceiving the information related to the sensed external condition. 18.The solar-powered lamp of claim 1, further comprising: a magneticsurface or a magnetic coil positioned proximate to an outer surface ofthe solar-powered lamp, the magnetic surface or the magnetic coilconfigured to wirelessly charge the rechargeable battery when themagnetic surface or the magnetic coil is positioned near a wirelesscharging device, or to wirelessly charge an external device when themagnetic surface or the magnetic coil is positioned near the externaldevice.
 19. The solar-powered lamp of claim 18, wherein the magneticsurface or the magnetic coil is positioned in the enclosure.
 20. Thesolar-powered lamp of claim 1, further comprising: at least oneindicator light positioned at an outer surface of the solar-poweredlamp, the at least one indicator light configured to represent a stateof the rechargeable battery or of the one or more LEDs, or configured torepresent a level of charge of the rechargeable battery.